By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is demanding the immediate resignation or formal retraction of comments by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie during a working visit to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF).
Members of the opposition NPP fiercely criticized the head of the judiciary for remarks he made, accusing him of severely compromising the independence and political neutrality of Ghana’s Judiciary. At the referenced programme, Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie in commending the current administration’s state-owned enterprises, pointed out a contrast, regarding what used to pertain during the previous government.
“Sometimes when we hear how well some state organisations are doing now, we wonder what we really have being doing in the past eight years and how Ghana could have sunk so low,” the Chief Justice is alleged to have said.
In an official statement issued on September 3, 2026, signed by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong the party expressed displeasure about the seemingly partisan posture coming from the Chief Justice, who is supposed to remain neutral. The NPP argued that referencing the “past eight years” carries an undeniable, highly partisan undertone targeted at their previous tenure.
The party claims this rhetoric directly aligns the office of the Chief Justice with the agenda of President John Dramani Mahama and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In its rebuke, the NPP stated that the head of an independent arm of government has a constitutional duty to remain fair and objective.
The party gave the Chief Justice a stark ultimatum: explicitly withdraw the statements and reaffirm absolute neutrality, or vacate the high office entirely.
“Let it be stated plainly: this is not the language of a Chief Justice,” the NPP stated, before demanding that he either retract his comments or “resign and formally join the NDC.”
Furthermore, the opposition expressed serious concern regarding the Chief Justice’s recent public appearances alongside ruling party political appointees, warning that it drastically erodes citizen trust in judicial impartiality.
Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie assumed office on November 17, 2025, succeeding former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. While civil society observers originally praised his administrative efficiency, this developing standoff exposes an institutional friction ahead of national legal procedures.
Critics mostly from the ruling faction of the political divide have hit back at the NPP, calling their demands hypocritical and exaggerated, pointing out previous instances where political actors sought to influence the bench.
The Judicial Service has yet to issue an official response to the NPP’s statement.
