There have been significant controversies surrounding the alleged removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Esaaba Araba Sackey Torkornoo.

According to President John Dramani Mahama, three individuals have filed petitions calling for the removal of the Chief Justice, citing concerns over certain actions they deem inappropriate.

The situation has sparked widespread debates, with many Ghanaians and institutions, including the Ghana Bar Association, urging the president to refrain from dismissing the Chief Justice.

While some argue that her removal is necessary, others contend that such a move is unconstitutional.

Additionally, some members of the New Patriotic Party have claimed the entire situation is part of ongoing efforts to enable President Mahama to seek a third term.

Justin Frimpong Kodua

One of such people is the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Frimpong Kodua.

According to him, the pending removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Torkornoo is linked to alleged plans to enable President John Dramani Mahama to contest for a third presidential term.

Speaking in an interview on Peace FM's Kokrokoo on April 24, 2025, he explained that the argument revolves around Article 66(2) of the 1992 Constitution, with some individuals allegedly planning to interpret it in a way that suggests the two-term limit applies only to two successive terms.

This interpretation, he said, would pave the way for President Mahama to contest again.

"I am telling you, certain people plan to interpret Article 66(2) of the Constitution to mean that the two-term limit refers to two successive terms. Therefore, because Mahama contested and lost before winning later, they argue that he is eligible to contest again since his terms were not successive.

"Mark today’s date, April 24, 2025; we will return to this issue. If that were not the case, the Chief Justice would not have been asked to stay home based on a frivolous petition," Kodua stated.

Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin

Also, the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has said that President John Mahama’s nomination of seven Court of Appeal judges to the Supreme Court is a ploy to advance his third-term agenda.

Speaking at a news conference at the NPP Headquarters on Thursday, May 1, Afenyo-Markin cautioned that the move poses a significant threat to the independence of the judiciary and the balance of power.

He argued that this is not a routine judicial appointment, but rather a calculated and deliberate effort to stack the Supreme Court with loyalists in order to pave the way for President Mahama to secure a third term in office.

"It is obvious that the bold attempt by the President to nominate, out of the blue, seven judges to the Supreme Court is the first major step in a well-rehearsed plan, a third-term agenda. Everything the NDC is doing, and everything our President is doing, under the advice of the hawks within the NDC, is geared toward establishing a third-term agenda for his leadership," he said.

VKB/AE

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