The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, accusing him of compromising the independence of the Judiciary through comments it says amount to partisan political commentary.
In a statement dated Thursday, September 3, 2026, and signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP said the Chief Justice must either retract his comments and his reported pledge to support President John Dramani Mahama’s agenda or resign and formally join the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The party’s reaction follows comments made by the Chief Justice during visits to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on Wednesday, September 2.
Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie praised the performance of some state institutions under the current administration and questioned what Ghana had been doing over the previous eight years during his visit.
“Sometimes when we hear how well some state organisations are doing now, we wonder what we really have been doing in the past eight years,” the CJ noted during his engagement with MIIF.
He also referred to information he had received during his visit to SSNIT, particularly regarding the institution’s management and previous plans involving some of its assets.
The Chief Justice subsequently urged managers of state institutions to help ensure the success of President Mahama’s development agenda, saying the President’s appointment of individuals to leadership positions demonstrated confidence in their ability to deliver.
“If the old man has decided that you are the right person to be in this position out of the 30 million people, it means he has a lot of confidence in you. And so we should do everything to make sure that his agenda succeeds,” he stated.
Those comments have since triggered criticism from figures within the NPP, with former Information Minister and Ofoase-Ayirebi MP Kojo Oppong Nkrumah questioning the Chief Justice’s decision to undertake visits to state-owned institutions and engage publicly on their performance.
In its statement, however, the NPP went further, accusing the Chief Justice of abandoning the neutrality expected of the head of the Judiciary.
The party invoked Articles 125 and 127 of the 1992 Constitution, arguing that the Judiciary is established as an independent arm of government and that the judicial oath requires the Chief Justice to administer justice without fear, favour, affection or ill will.
The NPP also linked the Chief Justice’s comments to ongoing prosecutions involving persons associated with the party under the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.
It questioned what accused persons would make of a Chief Justice publicly expressing support for the success of the Executive’s agenda while cases involving political opponents are before the courts.
“When the head of the Judiciary pledges his exertions to the success of the Executive’s agenda, what conclusion is an accused person standing in the dock, or indeed any citizen, to draw?” the party asked.
The NPP further alleged that the Judiciary was applying justice selectively in politically sensitive cases, citing the issuing of vacation warrants and the incarceration of its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
These allegations are the NPP’s position and have not been independently established by the cited reports.
The party also criticised the state of some court facilities, claiming that courtrooms and registries remain in poor condition while the Chief Justice has been visiting government institutions.
It accused him of failing to give sufficient attention to judicial infrastructure, delays in justice delivery and the working conditions of court staff.
The NPP said it would convene a major press conference to present what it described as the “full record” of the Chief Justice’s conduct and to elaborate on its concerns about judicial independence.
The party is therefore demanding that Justice Baffoe-Bonnie immediately and unreservedly retract what it considers partisan commentary and his reported pledge to support the President’s agenda.
Failing that, the NPP wants him to resign as Chief Justice and “formally join the NDC.” It has also called on President Mahama to fill the vacant Council of State position and publicly clarify any arrangements concerning the Chief Justice’s post-retirement future.
Source: Purefmonlinegh.com || 2026
