The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused President Akufo-Addo and Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo, of colluding to stack the Supreme Court with judges sympathetic to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Addressing a news conference in Accra yesterday, Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the party, said the action compromises the court’s independence and impartiality.
“…it will shock you to know that President Akufo-Addo, who has already packed the Supreme Court with an unprecedented 15 appointments, is now conspiring with Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo to add five more judges to our highest court. This isn’t just a political manoeuvre of an already exiting failed President; it’s an assault on our democracy, a betrayal of public trust and a direct threat to the integrity of our judicial system,” he stated.
The NDC referenced a purported letter, dated May 30, 2024 from Chief Justice Torkornoo to President Akufo-Addo, formally requesting the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court.
According to the party scribe, this request violated the constitutional provision on the appointments to the apex court.
“This request from the Chief Justice is not only a blatant violation of our Constitution, but also a flagrant disregard for the established customs and traditions that guide the nomination of judges to our nation’s highest court,” Mr. Kwetey asserted.
Mr. Kwetey indicated the names of the five judges put forward by the Chief Justice in her unconstitutional, unsolicited and self-serving request to the President include, “Her Ladyship Justice Angelina Mensah Homiah, His Lordship Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, His Lordship Justice Edward Amoako Asante, Her Ladyship Justice Cyra Pamela C.A Koranteng, and Her Ladyship Justice Afia Asare Botwe, the judge currently presiding over the persecution of Hon. Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.”
He further alleged that the Chief Justice’s actions were part of a broader agenda to consolidate judicial control under the NPP, citing what he described as a troubling pattern of judicial appointments favouring the ruling party’s interests.
“This is not the Ghana our forefathers fought for, this is not the democracy we pledged to uphold,” Mr. Kwetey proclaimed, urging all citizens to stand up in defense of Ghana’s democratic institutions.
In a detailed exposition, Mr. Kwetey outlined the sequence of events leading to the alleged conspiracy, including the Chief Justice’s correspondence with the President and subsequent efforts to justify the appointments, through what he termed as “manipulative manoeuvres” within the Judicial Council.
“We have in our possession a letter signed by the President of the Ghana Bar Association, Yaw Acheampong Boafo, Esq., dated 29th April, 2024 and addressed to President Akufo-Addo.
In the letter, the Ghana Bar Association objected to the clandestine approach by President Akufo-Addo to appoint five additional judges to Ghana’s Supreme Court,” Mr. Kwetey revealed.
“The actions of President Akufo-Addo and his cohorts are not just political games, they are existential threats to the very fabric of our nation,” the NDC bemoaned.
The NDC’s demands are clear and uncompromising: an immediate cessation of any plans to appoint additional judges to the Supreme Court, adherence to constitutional processes, transparency in judicial appointments, and the safeguarding of judicial independence.
“We call on all Ghanaians to rise up against this tyranny. We must protect our democracy, our judiciary, and our future,” Mr Fifi Kwetey concluded.
