Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the Majority in Parliament of acting in bad faith during the vetting of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, President Mahama’s nominee for Chief Justice.
The accusation followed a tense exchange between the two sides after Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga objected to Afenyo-Markin’s reference to Justice Baffoe-Bonnie as a “disputed nominee”.
Mr. Ayariga described the comment as inappropriate and politically charged, sparking heated debate among committee members.
In response, Afenyo-Markin defended his remarks, arguing that the Majority was attempting to silence legitimate parliamentary scrutiny.
He insisted that the Minority had every right to question the nomination, which he said appeared politically motivated.
“Chairman, the Majority Leader is clearly acting in bad faith seeking to obstruct the process we have started and to use his numbers to intimidate,” he said during the session.
The Minority Leader stressed that the vetting process should be seen as a constitutional duty, not a partisan exercise, and that examining the political context of the nomination was essential to upholding transparency and judicial independence.
“The issues surrounding this nomination are clearly political, and every Ghanaian knows it,” Afenyo-Markin asserted.
“What should have been a moment of national pride and institutional renewal has instead become a test of whether our judiciary will remain independent or yield to political influence.”
The controversy stems from campaign allegations made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 elections, claiming that the government intended to remove Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and replace her, a move that has now materialised under the Mahama administration.
