The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has launched a scathing attack on Ghana’s Council of State, accusing the advisory body of complicity in the controversial suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, 1st May 2025, Afenyo-Markin described the suspension as a politically motivated act orchestrated by the Mahama administration to undermine judicial independence.
Afenyo-Markin asserted that the Council of State failed in its constitutional duty to act as a check on executive power, enabling what he termed a “systematic and calculated assault” on the judiciary.
He said “I state unequivocally that what we are witnessing under the John Mahama-led administration is a systematic and calculated assault on the judiciary, an institution that represents the last bastion of the rule of law, the protection of civil liberties, and the very survival of our democratic republic.”
He then added “Today, we are confronted with acts of intimidation, political manipulation, and the open targeting of judges deemed inconvenient or non-compliant. This is not only unacceptable—it is offensive to good conscience”.
He cited the Chief Justice’s suspension-initiated by President John Mahama on 22nd April based on the Council’s advice-as evidence of growing executive interference in judicial affairs.
“The current attacks on the Chief Justice and the broader attempts to politicise the judiciary must be recognised for what they truly are. In this instance, our Council of State has failed our democracy,” he stated.
The Minority Caucus has mobilized a multi-party demonstration scheduled for Monday, 5th May, framing the protest as a non-partisan defense of constitutional governance.
“This is not about the NPP or any political party-it is about protecting the institutional integrity of our republic,” Afenyo-Markin emphasized, urging citizens to resist what he called a “dangerous erosion” of the rule of law.
Source : www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
