Broadcast journalist with Tobinco Media Group, Bernard Lav, has cautioned media practitioners to exercise restraint and professionalism in reporting on the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II–led Bawku peace mediation report presented to President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday.

Speaking on Atinka TV’s Ghana Nie morning show, Bernard Lav urged his colleague journalists to be careful in treating stories arising from the report, stressing that media commentary at this stage must support reconciliation and not undermine the fragile peace process.

“We must all support the peace efforts,” he said, adding that anyone who has nothing to contribute towards peace should remain silent.

Bernard Lav said he was impressed by how the Asantehene personally read out the key findings of the mediation report to the President, noting that the approach helped to remove partisan political interpretations from the process.

According to him, Otumfuo’s handling of the presentation demonstrated neutrality and authority, reinforcing public confidence in the report and its intent to promote peace rather than deepen divisions.

He described the mediation as a reconciliation exercise, emphasising that the outcome should not be framed in terms of winners and losers. “Reconciliation is all we want,” he stressed.

Bernard Lav also praised what he described as the firm and decisive posture adopted by the Asantehene during the process, saying it underscored the seriousness of the mediation and the need for all stakeholders to respect its outcome.

He commended Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, President John Dramani Mahama and former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for their respective roles in facilitating the mediation, and urged Ghanaians to rally behind the peace process.

The Asantehene presented the final mediation report to President Mahama at the Presidency on Tuesday, assuring that the exercise was purely mediation and not arbitration, and that all parties had willingly subjected themselves to the process.

President Mahama, after receiving the report, assured that government would study the document and announce its definitive position within 24 hours, as part of efforts to consolidate peace and reconciliation.

The presentation of the report marks a key moment in the peace process, with expectations now focused on how its recommendations will be implemented to sustain calm and promote unity.

Ghana |Atinkaonline.com|Ebenezer Madugu

Private legal practitioner Richard Nii Armah says the Supreme Court’s decision to suspend the Electoral Commission’s (EC) planned parliamentary rerun in the Kpandai Constituency was necessary to prevent legal chaos, given serious questions over the High Court’s jurisdiction to order the election in the first place.

Speaking on Bullet TV’s News Night programme hosted by Philip Abutiati, Mr Armah explained that the apex court’s intervention preserves the status quo until it determines whether the High Court judgment that led to the declaration of the seat vacant was legally competent.

According to him, the crux of the matter before the Supreme Court is whether the election petition that triggered the High Court ruling was properly before the court. He noted that under Ghana’s electoral laws, a petition can only be filed after the Electoral Commission has gazetted the election results.

“There is an allegation that at the time the petition was filed, the EC had not published the results in the Gazette,” Mr Armah said. “If that turns out to be true, then it means the right to go to court had not yet accrued, and the High Court may not have had jurisdiction.”

He argued that allowing a rerun election to go ahead while this fundamental legal issue remains unresolved could lead to serious consequences, especially if the Supreme Court later nullifies the High Court’s decision.

“Just imagine the chaos if a new MP is elected and sworn in, only for the Supreme Court to later say the High Court judgment never existed in law,” he cautioned. “The reasonable thing is what the Supreme Court has done—suspend everything.”

Mr Armah stressed that the suspension does not mean the rerun will never happen. Rather, it allows the court to investigate and make a definitive pronouncement. “If it turns out that the law allows the rerun, then it can still be held, and nobody would have lost anything,” he said.

He also clarified that filing an election petition outside the 21-day statutory window does not automatically invalidate a case. However, the timing must be measured from the date the EC publishes the results in the Gazette, a key factual issue now before the Supreme Court.

On procedural matters, Mr Armah described substituted service—particularly service through WhatsApp—as an accepted and increasingly common legal standard. He said courts have embraced electronic service since about 2015, noting that it is cheaper and more efficient than newspaper publication.

Looking ahead to January 13, when the case resumes, Mr Armah said the court is expected to hear arguments from lawyers for the applicant, the interested parties, and responses from the petitioners. Depending on how quickly written submissions are filed, the justices may either deliver a ruling shortly after oral arguments or adjourn to deliberate further.

On the status of the embattled Member of Parliament, Mr Armah said the Supreme Court’s suspension does not automatically reverse the High Court’s declaration that the seat is vacant. Since the apex court has not yet made a specific pronouncement on the MP’s status, he believes the High Court ruling technically remains in force.

“As of now, I don’t believe the MP can return to Parliament, and I also don’t believe the EC can go ahead to organise the election,” he said. “Everybody must wait for the Supreme Court to make a final determination.”

Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Ebenezer Madugu

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has recommended the strict enforcement of Ghana’s existing laws recognising Asigri Abugrago Azorka II as the lawful Bawku Naba, describing it as the most critical step toward restoring lasting peace in Bawku and the wider Kusasi traditional area.

In his mediation report on the protracted Bawku conflict, presented to government officials at the Jubilee House, Otumfuo stressed that no chief or traditional authority stands above the Constitution or the decisions of the courts.

He emphasised that the government must uphold laws duly enacted and affirmed by the Supreme Court until they are lawfully changed or reviewed.

The Asantehene’s recommendation followed extensive engagements with the Nayiri of Mamprugu, Nayiri-Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, the Bawku Naba, and other traditional leaders as part of efforts to find an amicable and sustainable resolution to years of violence between Kusasi and Mamprusi groups.

According to Otumfuo, the legal position on the Bawku chieftaincy has long been settled through PNDC Law 75, the 1992 Constitution, and subsequent Supreme Court rulings, all of which recognise the Bawku Naba as the head chief with jurisdiction over the Kusasi traditional area. He noted that attempts to challenge this position have been conclusively closed by the courts.

While acknowledging the historical ties of the Mamprugu Kingdom to lands in the Bawku area, the Asantehene said current legal realities make it untenable to pursue arrangements that contradict settled law, particularly in relation to claims to the Bawku skin.

Otumfuo further disclosed that the Nayiri has expressed willingness to make concessions in the interest of peace, describing the decision as difficult but necessary.

He, however, maintained that any such concessions must align with the law and respect existing legal authority.

He warned that the continued failure to enforce the lawful status of the Bawku Naba is fuelling insecurity in the area, describing the conflict as an escalating security concern that requires firm and lawful action.