Minority slams Prez. Mahama over Chief Justice suspension, alleges judicial coup

The Minority in Parliament has issued a scathing condemnation of President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to suspend Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, describing the move as a “brazen judicial coup” and a dangerous affront to Ghana’s constitutional democracy.

In a press statement released on Monday, April 21, the Minority accused the President of weaponizing Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution to execute what they termed a politically charged suspension.

They claim the action disregards ongoing legal challenges currently before the Supreme Court, thereby undermining the judiciary’s independence.

“This is nothing short of a judicial coup. President Mahama’s action reeks of intolerable political vendetta, judicial intimidation, and a calculated attempt to pack the courts with NDC-sympathetic justices,” the statement said, recalling the President’s controversial 2023 remarks in Akosombo on “balancing” the judiciary.

The Minority likened the suspension to authoritarian tendencies witnessed during the Nkrumah regime, warning that such executive overreach sets a dangerous precedent for democratic governance.

They have called for the immediate reinstatement of the Chief Justice, pending the determination of the constitutionality of the suspension by the Supreme Court.

“The people of Ghana will not tolerate the subversion of judicial independence for partisan gain,” the statement stressed, adding that civil society groups, the legal community, and pro-democracy advocates must rise in defense of the judiciary.

The Minority concluded with a firm warning to the Mahama administration against further attempts to erode judicial autonomy, pledging to resist any executive interference with fierce determination.

“We urge all well-meaning Ghanaians to rally behind the Constitution and protect the sanctity of our democratic institutions,” they said.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith