The Member of Parliament for Suame, John Darko, has described Tuesday, April 22—the day Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo was suspended—as a “day of shame” for Ghana, accusing President John Dramani Mahama of acting on political motives rather than constitutional principles.
Chief Justice Torkornoo was suspended by the President after a prima facie case was established from three separate petitions seeking her removal from office.
The decision, taken under Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution and in consultation with the Council of State, has sparked controversy and fierce debate in both legal and political circles.
Although the details of the petitions remain undisclosed, the development has raised significant concerns about judicial independence and the potential politicisation of the judiciary.
According to constitutional procedures, Chief Justice Torkornoo was served with the petitions and given a 10-day period to respond. She submitted her response on April 7.
However, in an interview on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on Tuesday, April 22, MP John Darko dismissed the notion that the suspension was a constitutional action, accusing President Mahama of pursuing a partisan agenda.
“The president is following the NDC’s political plan to be realistic. Don’t tell me about following any judicial process or a constitutional provision because I know, and every Ghanaian is aware, that the NDC promised its members they were going to remove the Chief Justice,” he said.
Darko further alleged that the suspension is part of a broader effort by the NDC to exert control over the judiciary.
“This is a political vendetta. It is a political hunt. This is Ghana’s day of shame. This is the act of the NDC to subjugate the judiciary. They have promised their people that they are going to pack the court with their people,” he declared.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has defended the President’s action, stating that the suspension was carried out in full compliance with Ghana’s Constitution.
