Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the Majority caucus in Parliament of demonstrating insincerity during the vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, who was nominated by President Mahama to serve as Chief Justice.
The confrontation erupted when Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga challenged Afenyo-Markin’s characterization of the nominee as a “disputed nominee,” arguing that the term was inappropriate and carried political undertones.
In response, Afenyo-Markin contended that the Majority was attempting to suppress meaningful parliamentary scrutiny and transparency.
He asserted that the Minority was fully entitled to voice its concerns regarding the nomination, which he claimed was driven by political considerations.
“Chairman, the Majority Leader is clearly acting in bad faith, seeking to obstruct the peaceful process we have started and, as it were, use his numbers to intimidate,” Afenyo-Markin declared during the proceedings.
He went on to emphasize that the vetting exercise was a constitutional responsibility rather than a partisan confrontation, and that probing the rationale behind the nomination was well within their legislative authority.
“The matters giving rise to this nomination are purely political, and every Ghanaian adult knows this,” he said. “Instead of becoming a moment of national pride and institutional renewal, this vetting has turned into a test of whether the judiciary will remain independent or fall under executive and political control.”
The controversy is rooted in campaign assertions made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 elections, which alleged that the ruling administration intended to oust Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo and install a replacement — a scenario that has now unfolded under President Mahama’s leadership
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