Supreme Court Arithmetic

During the oral address stage in the Supreme Court, an interesting position was espoused by counsel for the petitioners. Lawyer Addison stated that, total votes by all the MPs of the NPP put together was more than total votes by NDC MPs put together [therefore since the country is one constituency when it comes to the presidential slot, NPP should have gotten more presidential votes than the NDC]. On the face of it, this argument is very compelling. However, subjecting it to Arithmetic Test and Logical Reasoning provides varying scenarios.

First let’s look at Logic, logical assumptions or otherwise. The first assumption in the assertion is that everyone who voted for an NPP parliamentary candidate voted for the NPP presidential candidate. No skirt and blouse. No or not enough spoilt ballot from the NPP voters to make a mathematically significant difference between the votes by the NPP parliamentarians and the flag bearer. This position is not tenable in the Court of logic. However , it is a possibility, a remote possibility that would be a reality if the voter is an electronic device operated with a remote.

The second assumption is that there are only two political parties. No CPP, PNC, PPP…no independent candidate.

Now , let’s look at the other presidential candidates. Is it possible that somebody voted for Dr. Nduom and went on to vote for an NPP legislator? This question applies in various permutations to all the political parties and independent presidential candidates. There were eleven of them. A logical mathematical permutation will produce 120 possible scenarios. Addison’s position is shot down once again. The obvious reality that was not considered by Addison is the case of the independent parliamentary candidate. Three independent candidates won their seats. Numerous others lost. Is it logical to assume that, after voting for the legislator, those who chose the non-party person just went home to sleep without making a choice for the presidency? If majority of them choose Akuffo-Addo wouldn’t that make him get more votes that the NPP lawmakers put together? If they chose Mahama, depending on their numbers, cant John get more than all NDC votes, NPP votes and Akuffo -Addo votes?

Fundamentally . I have not been far away from the petitioners’ position that, the submissions by especially the third respondent contained the irregularity of propaganda. Hence anytime I listen to Tsatsu, I listen for the Law and Other Matters. Tsatsu asserted that the petition was poor in logic and arithmetically deficient had never made meaning to me; not until now.

The fact that this position was not earlier pleaded only makes it so glaring an afterthought. But it was not new to me. I heard it once on Asempa Fm. it was a strong argument then and actually unsettled Kofi Adams, the NDC panelist on that day. Clearly, Kofi was clueless as to how to respond to it. It was interesting.

Kwaku Forson-Asimenu

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