Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has challenged Ghana’s ministerial vetting process, arguing that the country’s multi-party parliamentary system makes it difficult for lawmakers to independently scrutinise presidential nominees.

Speaking in an exclusive interview on the AM Show on JoyNews on March 10, 2026, Kufuor said the structure of parliamentary committees means a president who controls the majority in Parliament will always have their nominees approved.

According to him, because vetting committees reflect the party composition of Parliament, majority members tend to back the president’s choices, leaving little room for meaningful opposition scrutiny.

“The president will have the majority of the vetting committees in the legislature, and so once the president nominates, invariably the nominee sails through because the majority tends to be there to support the president,” he said.

Replace Council of State with 'well-composed second chamber' – Kufuor advocates

Kufuor noted that this dynamic often weakens the oversight role of Parliament, as party loyalty can take precedence over objective assessment of nominees.

“The minority may have its say, but the majority would have its way,” he said, referencing a common parliamentary phrase that highlights how majority rule can determine outcomes regardless of opposing views.

Kufuor further suggested transferring the vetting of key public appointees to a non-partisan second chamber made up of experienced professionals and national figures.

He later explained that such a body could assess nominees strictly on merit while conducting its deliberations openly before the public.

The issue of ministerial vetting has long been debated in Ghanaian politics.

SO/VPO

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