The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has demanded the immediate resignation of the Chief Justice, accusing him of abandoning judicial neutrality and openly aligning himself with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In a strongly worded statement, the NPP said it was “profoundly shocked and disgusted” by a video circulating publicly in which the Chief Justice is alleged to have made comparative political commentary suggesting that the current NDC administration and its appointed Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are performing better than the previous eight-year NPP government.
The party described the comments as inappropriate for the head of Ghana’s Judiciary, arguing that they amounted to partisan political commentary.
“This is not the language of a Chief Justice. It is the language of a party propagandist, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers, and it has no place whatsoever in the mouth of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary,” the NPP stated.
The party further accused the Chief Justice of exhibiting a pattern of conduct that raises questions about his political neutrality.
According to the NPP, the Chief Justice’s participation in functions involving political appointees of the current government, coupled with his alleged comments, undermines public confidence in the independence of the Judiciary.
The party cited Articles 125 and 127 of the 1992 Constitution, which establish the Judiciary as an independent arm of government and require judicial officers to act without fear, favour, affection or ill will.
The NPP also took issue with the Chief Justice’s reported declaration that everything must be done to ensure the success of President John Mahama’s agenda.
The party questioned whether such a commitment was consistent with the Chief Justice’s constitutional responsibility, particularly in cases involving persons associated with the NPP.
“The President’s declared agenda includes Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), under which persons associated with the NPP are being arraigned before the very courts over which he presides,” the statement said.
“A Chief Justice swears a single oath, and it is to the Constitution: to no President, no party and no agenda.”
The NPP further alleged that the Judiciary has demonstrated “extraordinary alacrity” in handling what it described as politically sensitive cases involving members of the opposition.
It cited the incarceration of former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as an example.
The party alleged that justice was being administered at “two speeds,” with opposition figures facing accelerated proceedings while persons perceived to be aligned with the government enjoyed comparatively slower processes.
The NPP claimed the Chief Justice’s words and conduct have strengthened concerns about alleged coordination between the Judiciary and the Jubilee House.
It warned that any attempt to turn the Judiciary into an extension of the Executive would undermine one of the key pillars of Ghana’s constitutional democracy.
The party also criticised the Chief Justice over the state of court infrastructure and working conditions within the Judiciary.
It claimed that several courtrooms and registries remain in poor condition, with staff working under difficult circumstances that affect justice delivery.
According to the NPP, the Chief Justice has failed to give sufficient attention to these challenges while allegedly spending more time engaging with government agencies.
“With respect, My Lord, the leaking roofs are in your courts, not in the ministries,” the party said.
The NPP further accused the Chief Justice of failing to introduce meaningful reforms to address delays in the justice system, describing his visible activities as focused on targeting opposition voices.
“A Chief Justice whose legacy is persecution rather than reform has forfeited every claim to the confidence of the nation,” it stated.
The opposition party said it will soon organise a major press conference to present what it described as the “full record” of the Chief Justice’s conduct to the public.
It stressed that the Judiciary belongs to the people of Ghana and must remain independent of both the President and political parties.
The NPP is therefore demanding that the Chief Justice immediately retract his alleged partisan comments and his reported vow to support the President’s agenda.
Failure to do so, the party said, should compel him to resign and “formally join the NDC.”
The party also called on President Mahama to fill the vacant position on the Council of State and publicly disavow any arrangement concerning the Chief Justice’s post-retirement future.
“The courtroom is the last refuge of the ordinary Ghanaian, and the NPP will resist its conversion into an instrument of political persecution with every lawful means at our disposal,” the statement concluded.
