News
Minority urges Parliament to pause Chief Justice vetting until court cases end
The Minority in Parliament has called on the House to suspend the vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice until all court cases challenging the removal of Justice Gertrude Torkornoo are concluded.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin urged Parliament to use its discretion under Order 5 of the Standing Orders to pause the vetting process, stressing that doing so would protect the integrity of the Constitution and prevent a possible crisis.
He explained that the Supreme Court, High Court, and ECOWAS Court were already handling several cases concerning the legality of Justice Torkornoo’s removal and that the courts could fast-track these cases if the State cooperated instead of delaying proceedings.
According to him, the Judiciary is not without leadership since Justice Baffoe-Bonnie continues to act as Chief Justice under Article 144(6) of the Constitution.
He argued that there would be no crisis if Parliament waited for the courts to finish their work, but a real crisis could occur if a new Chief Justice is confirmed and the courts later overturn the removal, leading to two people claiming the same office.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the President’s power to nominate a Chief Justice under Article 144(1) was not in question.
However, he stressed that Parliament’s power to approve nominees must be exercised with respect for the separation of powers, judicial independence, and the sub judice rule, which prevents actions that may influence ongoing court cases.
He warned against misinterpreting the recent Supreme Court ruling in Vincent Assafuah v Attorney-General as permission for Parliament to proceed.
He explained that the Court only refused to issue a temporary injunction on procedural grounds and did not rule that the removal of Justice Torkornoo was lawful.
The Minority Leader said the Assafuah ruling applied the Moffat principle, which discourages courts from stopping government work because of frivolous suits.
However, he noted that the decision was not meant to encourage constitutional bodies to act without caution while serious cases were still pending.
He stated that the Supreme Court’s reasoning balanced the need to maintain judicial integrity with ensuring that constitutional duties continue smoothly.
The ruling, he added, was never meant as a go-ahead for Parliament to act hastily.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin explained that the Court’s decision not to compel Parliament to stop its work was out of respect for the separation of powers, not because it believed Parliament should disregard the courts.
He clarified that the Minority’s appeal was not for the Judiciary to control Parliament but for Parliament to exercise its own constitutional conscience by choosing to wait until the courts deliver their judgments.
He added that the Supreme Court assumed that constitutional bodies like Parliament would act wisely and in good faith, not mechanically, when performing their duties.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin also referred to Article 64(2) of the Constitution, which allows certain presidential acts to stand even after a court invalidates an election to prevent chaos.
He cautioned, however, that this provision was never meant to encourage recklessness or to create irreversible constitutional problems.
He warned that if Parliament confirms Justice Baffoe-Bonnie while the courts are still handling challenges to Justice Torkornoo’s removal, Ghana could face a constitutional crisis involving two claimants to the office of Chief Justice.
He argued that such a development would damage the reputation of Parliament and undermine public confidence in the country’s democratic institutions.
The Minority Leader maintained that waiting for the courts to conclude the cases would demonstrate Parliament’s maturity, fairness, and commitment to constitutional principles.
He said taking a short pause would protect the rule of law and show that Parliament values legality over haste and principle over politics.
“The prudent path, the constitutional path, is to wait,” he emphasized.
By: Jacob Aggrey
A new international whitepaper on democracy in Africa has placed Ghana’s Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, at the centre of a major research study on the role of opposition parties in strengthening democratic governance across the continent.
The study is being conducted by the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP) in partnership with the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) Ghana.
It uses Ghana’s 2025/2026 parliamentary session as a case study to examine how opposition parties can contribute to peace, development and democratic stability.
President of the ACCP, Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, said the research forms part of a wider continental project aimed at identifying successful governance models in Africa.
He explained that the chamber is interested in promoting positive African stories and finding practical democratic systems that other countries can adopt.
Mr. Dwomoh-Doyen said political differences should not create division or hostility among leaders and citizens.
He stated that despite belonging to different political sides, people must work together in the interest of national development.
According to him, Ghana’s democratic journey and parliamentary system made the country an important case for the study.
The whitepaper, titled “A Strong and Responsible Opposition in Africa: A Ghanaian Case Study (2025/2026 Review)”, reviews the Minority Leader’s parliamentary activities, including his statements, motions and media engagements.
Researchers are also conducting public opinion surveys in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale as part of the study.
Head of ACCP’s Liberia branch, Dr. Murphy T. Jackson, said African countries should formally recognise and support the office of the Leader of the Opposition through legal structures and institutional resources.
He noted that such systems would help reduce the chances of unconstitutional changes of government on the continent.
Head of Research at ACCP Ghana, David Adofo, described Ghana’s opposition institution as one of the strongest in Africa.
He said although the current research focuses on Ghana, future studies would examine opposition institutions in other African countries.
Deputy Secretary General of UPF-Ghana, Tegha King, stressed the importance of a responsible opposition in national development.
Speaking on behalf of the Universal Peace Federation and the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP), he said opposition parties should not be seen as enemies of progress.
According to him, respectful debate, alternative policy ideas and cross-party dialogue are necessary for strong democratic institutions and national peace.
The research comes at a time when some African countries are experiencing political instability and military takeovers.
Despite these challenges, Ghana continues to be recognised as one of Africa’s stable democracies, having recorded several peaceful transfers of power since 1992.
The completed whitepaper will later be submitted to an international peer-reviewed journal, while the abstract has already been made available upon request.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
NuGhana Expat Center to launch ‘AfroTango Platform’ to support diasporans in Ghana and Africa — Nana Kofi Opoku-Agyemang
The Executive Director of the NuGhana International Expat Center, Nana Kofi Opoku-Agyemang, has disclosed that the organisation is preparing to launch the “AfroTango Platform” to support diasporans with integration in Ghana and across Africa.
According to him, the platform is intended to help diasporans navigate African systems, which many often find difficult to understand after relocating from Western countries.
“The AfroTango Platform will provide a structured bridge, offering orientation, vetted service referrals, and a trusted community to help them integrate smoothly for business or relocation,” he said.
Mr. Opoku-Agyemang made the disclosure while speaking about a proposal submitted by the NuGhana International Expat Center to the government of President John Dramani Mahama for the establishment of a specialised multi-agency Diaspora Protection and Human Capital Task Force.
According to their statement, the proposal has been submitted to the President and shared with key institutions, including the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI), the Ministry of the Interior, the Office of National Security, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of Diaspora Affairs, and the Black Star Experience Secretariat.
Mr. Opoku-Agyemang explained that the proposed task force would help protect diasporans and foreign nationals from organised fraud and exploitation while also helping the country benefit from their expertise, investments, and professional skills.
He noted that many diasporans relocating to Ghana often face challenges such as land disputes, business fraud, and difficulties finding trusted people to guide them through local systems.
President of the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP), Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, who endorsed the proposal, described the initiative as timely and necessary.
According to him, the leadership of NuGhana understands the realities and expectations of diasporans because of their experience living in Western countries.
He appealed to the government to consider the proposal seriously, stating that it could help protect lives and investments while encouraging more diasporans to contribute to national development.
The statement identified key challenges facing diasporans, including organised land and business scams, the absence of a unified system to engage skilled professionals entering the country, and fears over investment security.
Some diasporans who spoke on condition of anonymity also welcomed the initiative and said a state-backed protection system would give them more confidence to relocate and invest in Ghana.
NuGhana said it has already built a human capital and risk database over the past four years to catalogue diasporans and foreign nationals according to their professions, skills, investment interests, and reported incidents.
The organisation added that it is ready to engage the President’s designated team to demonstrate its database and begin a pilot phase of the proposed framework.
By: Jacob Aggrey
