In the face of severe public backlash suggesting they do not really know what they are about, NDCs Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga East has admitted to a tongue slipping gaffe in his daily commentary on the Supreme Court proceedings.
On Tuesday 9th February, 2021, after the SC heard oral arguments from both respondents and the petitioner in the ongoing Presidential Election Petition trial on whether or not the respondents can be compelled to mount the witness box.
Lawyer Ayine, who is a former Deputy AG and a member of former president Mahama’s legal team in an interview with journalists at the premises of the SC emphatically stated that if their petition is upheld, former president John Mahama will be sworn in as President.
Speaking after the court had adjourned to Thursday to give a ruling on the oral arguments heard on the compulsory calling of witnesses as the lawyers for the petitioner are insisting.
Dramatically, in a Facebook post, one Abugri Emmanuel, asked Dr. Ayine if he really said former president John Mahama will be sworn in as president if their petition is upheld, Ayine in his reply to this post backtracked and answered that he ‘slipped’ and meant to say something else;
Comments on this Facebook post are asking Dr Ayine why should his concession be taken serious if he did not mean to mislead members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The most important question that has been asked him after his concession is the difference between his slip and what happened on December 9th, 2020, during the presidential election declaration for which they are in court.
For the EC chair, she was not prompted to correct her legal slip. Dr. Ayine had to be prompted. Was it deliberate? or it’s a case of us all being human after all?