NPP Demands Chief Justice’s Resignation Over Alleged Partisan Comments

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to resign and formally join the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over comments the party says compromise the political neutrality of the judiciary.

In a statement issued on Thursday, 3 September 2026, the NPP accused the Chief Justice of making political comparisons between the performance of President John Mahama’s NDC administration and the previous NPP government.

The party’s statement was titled “A Judiciary Captured: The Chief Justice Must Resign and Formally Join the NDC.

The NPP’s reaction follows remarks made by Justice Baffoe-Bonnie during a working visit to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on Wednesday.

The Chief Justice praised the performance of MIIF and other state institutions and questioned what Ghana had been doing during the previous eight years.

He also referred to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), saying he was impressed by changes he had seen at the institution.

The comments have triggered debate over whether the head of Ghana’s judiciary should publicly assess the performance of successive governments.

Legal scholar Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, has cautioned the Chief Justice to exercise restraint in his public comments.

Prof Asare said the reference to the “past eight years” could be interpreted as an assessment of one political administration against another and risk undermining public confidence in judicial independence.

The NPP, however, has gone further, arguing that the comments were inconsistent with the constitutional responsibilities of the Chief Justice.

It cited Articles 125 and 127 of the 1992 Constitution, which establish the Judiciary as an independent arm of government and protect it from control or direction by other authorities.

The party also referred to the judicial oath, which requires judges to perform their functions without fear or favour, affection, or ill will.

According to the NPP, a Chief Justice who publicly appears to support the performance of the government’s agenda could create doubts about the judiciary's neutrality when cases involving the government come before the courts.

The party specifically questioned remarks attributed to the Chief Justice that everything must be done to ensure the success of the President’s agenda.

It linked this concern to President Mahama’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative, under which several people associated with the previous administration have faced legal proceedings.

The NPP said the Chief Justice’s position should be allegiance to the Constitution rather than to the President, a political party or a government agenda.

The party therefore demanded that Justice Baffoe-Bonnie retract what it considers partisan comments or resign and formally join the NDC.

The Chief Justice was sworn into office in November 2025 after Parliament approved his nomination. At his swearing-in, he pledged to uphold the rule of law, respect the separation of powers and protect the independence of the judiciary.

The criticism has not been uniform. IMANI Africa president Franklin Cudjoe has defended the Chief Justice’s comments, arguing that available data could support the assessment that some state institutions are performing better than under the previous administration.

The NPP said it would hold a press conference to present what it described as the full record of the Chief Justice’s conduct.