Information available to The ARCHIVES suggests that the Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are planning to boycott the vetting of Chief Justice nominee, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie.
Sources close to the caucus indicate that the decision was reached during a secret meeting held last week at a popular hotel in North Ridge, Accra.
The move is reportedly part of a broader strategy to challenge and possibly undermine the administration of the incoming Chief Justice once he assumes office.
The Appointments Committee of Parliament has scheduled the vetting of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie for November 10, 2025.
However, six Minority MPs have filed a motion seeking to suspend the vetting process until all pending legal challenges concerning the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo are resolved.
According to insiders, the motion filed at the office of the Speaker is not coincidental but forms part of a coordinated effort by the Minority.
The motion reads in part:
“That this Honourable House, having regard to Articles 110(1), 125–127, 144(1) and 146 of the 1992 Constitution and Standing Orders 57(1)–(3), 93, 103(f), 216 and 217, resolves to suspend forthwith all further proceedings, both at the Appointments Committee and at Plenary, on the nomination of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice until all pending suits and applications directly bearing on the removal of Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo (including ECOWAS Court Suit No. ECW/CCJ/APP/32/25 on provisional measures, multiple Supreme Court proceedings, and High Court applications) are finally determined or withdrawn.”
The six MPs behind the motion are Andy Appiah-Kubi (Asante Akim Central), John Darko (Suame), Gloria Owusu (Trobu), Damata Salam Ama Appianimaa (Afigya Kwabre South), Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli (Gushegu), and Kwabena Boateng (Ejisu).
The Minority MPs are also demanding that the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice be summoned before Parliament to brief the House on the status of all ongoing litigation related to the removal of Justice Torkornoo.
The motion further requests that the Attorney-General provide details including:
- The identity, jurisdiction, and procedural status of all legal proceedings;
- Any provisional measures, interim orders, or conservatory orders sought or granted;
- The reliefs sought in each proceeding and their potential implications for the Office of the Chief Justice;
- Ghana’s international obligations under regional treaties relevant to the ECOWAS Court proceedings;
- The government’s assessment of the potential legal and constitutional implications of appointing a new Chief Justice while litigation remains pending; and
- Any other matters necessary for Parliament’s informed exercise of its constitutional duties under Article 144(1).
The unfolding development has heightened political tension in Parliament as the November 10 vetting date approaches, with observers closely watching how the leadership of the House will respond to the Minority’s demands.
