Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin’s attempt to halt the parliamentary Appointment Committee from vetting President John Dramani Mahama’s nominee for Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has been rejected, according to a report by GhanaWeb.
Afenyo-Markin had referenced a pending lawsuit challenging the removal of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, as well as a petition seeking his removal as Acting Chief Justice, arguing that the vetting process should be paused until these matters are resolved.
During proceedings on Friday, November 7, 2025, he urged Parliament to suspend the committee’s work on the nomination.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, however, dismissed the motion, emphasizing that legal proceedings cannot impede the legislative functions of Parliament.
Drawing from the Standing Orders and the 1992 Constitution, Bagbin highlighted that external judicial actions cannot obstruct the operations of the House, describing such attempts as interference.
He stated that allowing pending lawsuits to stall parliamentary business would set a precedent where any litigant could paralyze the work of Parliament and its committees.
“Should I accept that argument, it would mean that any litigant could hold Parliament hostage – that is, file a case and freeze the work of Parliament and its committees,” he said.
Bagbin ruled the motion inadmissible and returned it to Afenyo-Markin, citing clear guidance from the Standing Orders.