Alexander Afenyo-Markin and John Dramani Mahama
The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has criticised President John Dramani Mahama’s nomination of seven Court of Appeal judges to the Supreme Court, describing it as a strategic move to pave the way for a third term.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, May 1, 2025, Afenyo-Markin cautioned that the move could undermine the independence of the judiciary.
“This government must tread with the greatest caution, always keeping tomorrow in mind when taking decisions today, because these decisions may shape future governance. If we continue down this path, we risk creating a culture of retaliatory politics, where successive governments are more focused on settling political scores than solving national problems,” he warned.
“It is obvious that Mr. President’s bold attempt to nominate, out of the blue, seven judges to the Supreme Court is the first major step in what appears to be a rehearsed third-term agenda,” he alleged.
He continued, “All that the NDC is doing, everything our President is doing, under the advice of the hawks within the NDC, is aimed at setting the stage for a third-term bid.”
Afenyo-Markin appealed to civil society organisations, religious leaders, and the general public to remain vigilant and resist what he described as an assault on judicial independence.
“We must not be silent. This is a national issue that transcends partisan lines. The integrity of our justice system is at stake, and we must resist any attempt to convert it into a political tool,” he emphasised.
President Mahama has nominated seven Justices of the Court of Appeal for consideration for appointment to the Supreme Court bench.
They are:
• Justice Sir Dennis Dominic Adjei
• Justice Gbiel Simon Suurbaareh
• Justice Senyo Dzamefe
• Justice Kweku Tawiah Ackah-Boafo
• Justice Philip Bright Mensah
• Justice Janpere Bartels-Kodwo
• Justice Hafisata Ameleboba
JKB/MA