Veteran lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata has said the outcome of the 2024 general elections has brought what he described as “vindication” for President John Dramani Mahama, following the disputed 2020 presidential election.

Speaking at an Honorary Lecture and Award ceremony held in his honour, Mr Tsikata reflected on the role of the judiciary and the legal profession in maintaining public trust, while revisiting concerns raised during the 2020 election petition.

He said the importance of accountability within the justice system.

“The legal profession and in particular the judiciary have important roles to play in sustaining this order,” he said.

“So we must examine ourselves honestly and speak frankly if we are to deserve the confidence of society.”

Mr Tsikata said he was troubled by public perception of the Supreme Court during the 2020 election petition, noting that the phrase “Unanimous FC” became widely associated with the court’s decision.

“I found it sad during the election petition… that the expression ‘Unanimous FC’ became the name of our Supreme Court,” he said.

He said that the case required a thorough and transparent process, especially given inconsistencies in the election results announced at the time.

“It was not in dispute that the figures… announced by the chairperson of the Electoral Commission were corrected in a press release,” he said.

He added that the Electoral Commission later presented different figures in response to the petition.

Mr Tsikata further criticised the absence of direct testimony from the Electoral Commission’s chairperson during the proceedings.

He said, although she had filed an affidavit, “she did not testify to present the authoritative final figures, much less explain the ever-changing figures from the Commission.”

According to him, this has left lingering questions. “To this day, therefore, the country has no definitive accounting for the 2020 presidential election,” he stated.

He also linked public reaction to the judiciary to these developments, describing criticism of judges’ involvement in the 2025 presidential swearing-in as a reflection of broader concerns.

“The negative reaction of ordinary people… was an unfortunate reflection of the people’s attitude to the ‘Unanimous FC’,” he said.

Turning to recent political developments, Mr Tsikata said the results of the 2024 elections had effectively settled the matter from a political standpoint.

“From the point of view of President Mahama… vindication came comprehensively in December 2024,” he said.

He noted that the current political landscape offers the President greater room to act.

“What he could not have done with a hung parliament after the 2020 election, he now has a chance to do decisively with a super-majority in Parliament,” he said.

However, Mr Tsikata cautioned that this outcome brings added responsibility.

“This vindication… comes with a heavy weight of responsibility and expectation, which I believe the President is conscious of,” he said.