CJ removal: Coalition of political parties seek diplomatic help to halt “judicial hijack” by Mahama government

Ghana’s opposition parties have petitioned the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Maher Kheir of Lebanon, seeking international intervention in what they describe as a “coordinated assault” on the country’s judiciary and multiparty democracy.

The petition, signed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Party (NDP), the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), and the People’s National Party (PNP), alleges that the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo by President John Dramani Mahama is politically motivated.

President Mahama, on 22 April 2025, announced the Chief Justice’s suspension following three separate petitions, triggering a constitutional inquiry via a five-member committee.

While the presidency maintains the process adheres to legal provisions, opposition parties say the move is part of a broader agenda to “capture” the judiciary and weaken checks on executive power.

“This action compromises the delicate balance of powers enshrined in our Constitution and risks public trust in the judiciary as the last bastion of impartiality and fairness,” the coalition wrote in the petition addressed to Ambassador Kheir.

Political context
The development follows years of growing political tension between the opposition and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

In the petition, the opposition references comments made by then-candidate Mahama in 2023, in which he criticised the judiciary and called for more NDC-aligned judges to “balance out” the bench.

The coalition interprets those remarks—and the recent nomination of seven new Supreme Court justices—as a concerted attempt to reshape the judiciary in the president’s favour.

Ghana, long seen as a model of democratic resilience in West Africa, is facing what the petitioners describe as “a real and present danger” to its institutions.
They fear the suspension of the Chief Justice could mark the beginning of a troubling erosion of judicial independence.

Coup fears

The petition links Ghana’s current political trajectory to regional instability. The parties warn that developments in Accra should be viewed in the context of recent coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger—all of which followed dissatisfaction with democratic governance.

“Ghana has admirably stood apart from this tide… It is this enviable record that now faces a real and present danger,” the letter cautions.

*Allegations of political persecution*

The coalition also accuses the Mahama administration of harassing and intimidating opposition figures, describing recent arrests of former officials as politically charged.

“The government’s unholy attempt to weaken the judiciary has been accompanied by a preconceived agenda to use executive power to intimidate political opponents under the guise of fighting corruption,” the statement reads.

They compare the current situation to the era of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), the military-backed regime led by Jerry Rawlings in the 1980s, of which Mahama’s party is the successor.

*Call for diplomatic action*

The opposition is urging Ambassador Kheir—and the broader diplomatic corps—to, among other things, urge the government to reinstate Chief Justice Torkornoo and advocate for an end to alleged political persecution.

The petition follows a protest march held on 5 May under the theme “SAVE THE JUDICIARY,” during which the group submitted petitions to all three arms of government.