The People’s National Party (PNP) has submitted a formal petition to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, seeking his intervention in what it describes as a deliberate and politically motivated campaign by President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to oust the suspended Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Torkornoo.
The PNP contends that the process leading to Justice Torkornoo’s suspension is deeply flawed and rooted in a desire to settle political scores rather than uphold the integrity of the judiciary.
Speaking to journalists after the petition was delivered at the Manhyia Palace on Tuesday, July 31, PNP leader Janet Nabila accused the Mahama-led administration of orchestrating a political vendetta.
She said the treatment of the Chief Justice was not only unjustified but part of a larger attempt by the government to assert control over all three arms of government.
“We have come to Manhyia to present a petition to him, because of what is happening with the suspended Chief Justice’s issue,” she told reporters. “We’re women, and a particular party comes and we realise that a particular party is targeting women and using all means that are abusive in nature to get what they want, it becomes so worrying. I wept when I heard the Chief Justice come out to register her displeasure to the entire country about the ordeal she’s going through.”
Nabila strongly criticised the government’s approach, describing it as a misuse of executive authority aimed at suppressing dissent and intimidating high-profile officeholders—especially women.
“The process is an abuse of the Chief Justice and women of Ghana. Whatever they are doing to the woman is an abuse of power. Since all protocols are no longer working, our justice system becomes an extension of the political party,” she said.
She explained the PNP’s decision to turn to traditional leadership, noting that the Manhyia Palace represents an enduring pillar of moral authority and neutrality in the country’s governance history.
“We decided to come to the Manhyia Palace since the traditional authorities were there before democracy,” she said. “How do you celebrate National Thanksgiving when you are wicked and vindictive? When your modus operandi is to punish your enemies. They should be celebrating National Day of Repentance.”
Nabila also pushed back against criticisms of selective outrage, particularly over her silence during the removal of former Electoral Commission Chairperson, Charlotte Osei. She insisted that her stance on Justice Torkornoo’s case was based on principle and not political convenience.
The PNP is now urging Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to use his influence to ensure fairness and temperance in national affairs, warning that the ongoing treatment of the suspended Chief Justice threatens the foundations of justice and gender equity in Ghana’s public life.
