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After Counsel for the petitioners, Philip Addison, ended his fourteen (14) days of cross examining Chairman for the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan, the ball is now in the bosom of the nine-member panel sitting on the case. But as Ghanaians await the outcome of the election petition, the former Chief of Staff and member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alex Segbefia appears to have some qualms over the repercussions of the petition on the economy. Speaking on Radio Gold, the NDC guru reiterated his position that the petition filed by three leaders of the New Patriotic Party has a negative consequence on the nation. Addressing his point on the station�s newspaper review, Mr. Segbefia said the petition has affected business and investment causing a slowdown in economic activity. According to him, the long days of pursuing the case in court coupled with the live telecast of the petition has obviously run the economy into deficits. He noted that �the cost to the nation financially, development-wise; has been devastating. And I�m sure when the final report come for 2013, the amount of investment; the amount of activities will be quite clear that in the first six or first two quarters of this year, things were not as they should have been. And there would have been some form of a slowdown in economic activity� as a result of the petition. �The petition has affected businesses internally in terms of people who want to invest and people who are looking to see what is going to happen and also even with respect to foreign direct investment,� he added.