The Minority in Parliament has fiercely condemned President John Dramani Mahama’s suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, branding it a “judicial coup” and a grave assault on Ghana’s democracy.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, April 22, the caucus accused President Mahama of blatant executive overreach, warning that his actions could plunge the nation into a constitutional crisis.
Ghana’s political landscape has been thrown into disarray following the suspension, which has sparked widespread outrage and drawn fierce criticism from opposition lawmakers.
“President Mahama’s suspension of the Chief Justice under Article 146, while legal challenges remain pending before the Supreme Court, is nothing short of a judicial coup—a reckless abuse of power designed to intimidate the judiciary and stack the courts with NDC-aligned judges,” the statement read.
The Minority drew historical parallels, recalling the 1963 dismissal of Chief Justice Sir Arku Korsah by then-President Kwame Nkrumah. They warned against a return to an era where the executive punishes judges for unfavorable rulings.
The caucus also accused Mahama of hypocrisy, citing his 2023 remarks in Akosombo where he pledged to “balance the judiciary”—a statement widely seen as a strategy to fill the bench with party loyalists.
“This is not about accountability—it is a politically motivated witch-hunt. President Mahama wants a judiciary that bows to his will, not one that upholds the rule of law,” the Minority charged.
They warned that the President’s move threatens judicial independence and sets a dangerous precedent that could embolden future leaders to unlawfully remove judges.
The Minority vowed to resist what they described as an authoritarian power grab, outlining three key actions:
- Fierce legal resistance to any further attempts to unlawfully remove the Chief Justice;
- Mass public opposition if the judiciary is reduced to an ‘appendage of the Executive’;
- Full-scale legal challenges against any effort to pack the courts with partisan judges.
“Ghana is a constitutional democracy, not a fiefdom. We will not allow the judiciary to be bullied into submission,” the statement declared.
The Minority is demanding the immediate reinstatement of Chief Justice Torkornoo until all legal proceedings are concluded and a complete halt to any removal processes until their legality is confirmed by the Supreme Court.
“The integrity of Ghana’s judiciary is non-negotiable. Enough is enough,” the statement concluded.