Despite the petition contesting the victory of Ghana’s President-elect and incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the December 7, 2020 poll by former president John Mahama, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the Supreme Court of Ghana, the inauguration ceremony of President Akufo-Addo for his second four-year term will go ahead on Thursday, January 7, 2021 in Accra.
The Vice President-Elect, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will also be sworn in tomorrow with President-Elect in the ceremony expected to be attended by 13 African Heads of State, including the President of Senegal, Macky Sall, President of Liberia, George Weah and the President of Cote d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, who have confirmed that they would be in attendance at the swearing-in ceremony.
According to local media reports, the Head of the Inauguration Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mrs. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said that other countries, including Nigeria, Gambia, India and France would be represented by their Foreign Ministers at the ceremony.
Mrs Botchwey told a news conference on Tuesday in Accra that other Heads of State, who have confirmed their attendance included; the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré; the Head of state of Mali, Acting President Bah Ndaw; the President of Chad, Marshal Idriss Déby; the President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenç; the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo; the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio; the President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló; the President of Guinea, Alpha Condé; the President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé and the President of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou.
“So far we have several Heads of State and Government who have accepted or who are going to be part of the ceremony,” she said.
According to the investiture programme, the Seventh Parliament of Ghana will be dissolved at midnight today, Wednesday, January 6, 2021 in line with the provisions in the Presidential Transition Act, 2012 (Act 845) and the 1992 Constitution.
The statement by the Public Affairs Director of Parliament, Ms Kate Addo, the Eighth Parliament will be inaugurated on Thursday in order to preside over the swearing-in ceremony of the President-Elect and the Vice President Elect.
She explained that President Akufo-Addo would deliver his final State of the Nation Address in Parliament in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution.
The statement added that at 12 a.m. on January 7, 2021, the elected members of the Eighth Parliament would convene in the Chamber of Parliament to elect a Speaker and two Deputy Speakers, in accordance with articles 95, 96 and 100(2) of the 1992 Constitution.
Thereafter, the elected Parliamentarians will be sworn in by the Speaker at the Chamber of Parliament, before the President-elect will be sworn in before the Eighth Parliament on the precincts of the Parliament.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 delivered his State of the Nation address in accordance with Article 67 of the Constitution. In his address President Akufo-Addo described the 7th Parliament of Ghana as “arguably the most productive” in the history of Ghana.
“I speak as someone who has served three terms in this House, and I can safely say that this 7th Parliament has been the busiest ever, and, arguably the most productive, in the history of our country.
“You have passed almost 50 pieces of legislative instruments. The Acts have been wide ranging in scope and reach,” he said.
He urged members of the 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic to work together in the interest of Ghanaians.
“The 8th Parliament must have to devise a way of conducting its business in the good interest of Ghana’s developing democracy,” he said.
According to him, the good people of Ghana have spoken and given Parliament an almost equal strength on both sides of the House. “We have no choice, but to work with the consequences of the desires of the people,” he said, adding that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) failed to attain a clear majority in Parliament after the December 7, election.
He also said that former President John Mahama’s decision to challenge the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in court was good for Ghana.
“I recognize my main opponent in the election has gone to the Supreme Court to seek their intervention over his concerns on the outcome of the polls. It is good for the nation,” he said.
“He chose the legal path instead of the pockets of violence that attended the immediate aftermath of the elections,” he added.
It will be recalled that President-Elect Akofo-Addo had in 2013 filed a petition at the Supreme Court of Ghana, challenging the result of the election won by John Mahama of the NDC.
GIK/APA