According to allegations made by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), President John Mahama is part of a larger plot to influence the courts to support a third-term campaign.
This accusation comes after Her Ladyship Gertrude Torkornoo, the Chief Justice, was suspended on Tuesday, April 22, a decision that generated intense public discussion.
The NPP has responded by announcing a nationwide protest for May 5th, which would be attended by the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), the People’s National Party (PNP), the National Democratic Party (NDP), and the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG).
The parties also claimed in a joint statement that attempts are being made to have Jean Mensa, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, and her two deputy chairs removed.
It said:
This action would open the door for complete political control over Ghana’s democratic institutions, with a Chief Justice who is personally chosen could preside over court rulings.
The President was accused by the parties of a larger plot to validate a campaign for a third term, saying:
The future is even more worrisome: a secret scheme to dispute the accepted understanding of Article 66(2) by pursuing constitutional interpretation at the Supreme Court, which will be reformed with loyalist nominees. The final objective? to give John Mahama’s campaign for a third term as president in the general elections of 2028 legitimacy.
Additionally, they charged that President Mahama had authoritarian tendencies:
Tyranny’s symptoms are obvious. It is necessary to directly address Mahama’s leadership’s insensitive and vengeful stance. To defend their democracy, their livelihoods, and their dignity, Ghanaians must rise up—not in silence, but in defiance.
Therefore, the NPP and its four allies have urged all well-meaning Ghanaians, including religious and civil society groups, to participate in the next protest.
