Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Buaben Asamoa says John Mahama and his lawyers are only interested in delaying the time for the court hearing in its election petition case.

Speaking on Top Story, Tuesday, he stated that the team could have filed the 12 interrogatories they had sought for the Electoral Commission (EC) to provide answers to days ahead of Tuesday's hearing.

He told Evans Mensah that this is the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) way of not only delaying the petition but ensuring their supporters appeased following the party's loss in the just-ended polls.

“They told their supporters they had won the election, turns out they hadn’t won. Nobody in there is bold enough to concede therefore they are looking for a copycat way of letting themselves down gradually and that is to model themselves along the lines of the 2012/2013 petition,” he said.

He added that the decision of the court to hear the interrogatories affected the actual reason the court had been in session - case management.

Mr Asamoa stated that the defence lawyers only want to make a show of things for the NDC supporters adding that they know they have no case to present.

His comment follows a ruling by the Supreme Court that dismissed a motion by former President John Mahama seeking permission to elicit answers to some 12 interrogatories from the Electoral Commission.

Among others, lawyers for the petitioner are asking the EC to answer if the National Communications Authority (NCA) played any role or facilitated in any way, the transmission of the election results to its headquarters.

Lead Counsel Tsatsu Tsikata argued that, the interrogatories are critical as it would help the apex court determine the authenticity of the results that saw the NPP presidential candidate, emerging as the winner of the 2020 polls.

Giving its verdict on the motion, the Supreme Court held the view that Lawyer Tsatsu was relying on CI 47 while the current rule in force relating to the Supreme Court is the CI 99.

Mr Buabeng Asamoa told Evans Mensah host of Top Story that “we believe the NDC is not ready to proceed with the petition that they themselves have brought, and in particular they are not ready to use the timelines that has been set out by the CI 99.”

He stated that Mr Tsikata lead counsel for Mr Mahama had also for an adjournment to Thursday adding that the applications clearly shows the defense only wants to extend the time within which the case should be heard.

However, a member of Mr Mahama’s legal team, Edudzie Tamakloe also on the show said it is foul for Mr Buabeng Asamoa who has been part of an election petition to insinuate that the petition is to provide comfort for the party faithful.

“If it is about expedition, the person he represents had had over 8 months before our court to adjudicate on the petition he brought in 2012 was that for games, showmanship, to provide comfort to NPP members?”

“So when today an election petition is filed and we are going through the process required," the NPP Communications Director argued.