Naagyei 90.3 Fm Agyapa
Former President John Dramani Mahama’s recent criticism of the judiciary has been attacked by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
On September 2, 2023, Mr. Mahama stated at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) annual lawyers conference that President Akufo-Addo had appointed the most judges to Ghana.
He said that the court was crowded with judges who supported the NPP, saying, “He has appointed the most judges to the bench; there are more than 80, with 100 still to come.” He has a packed court, and we know that they are doing so to avoid being held accountable once they leave the government.
Therefore, Mr. Mahama advised the NDC lawyers to get ready for similar appointments when he again wins the presidency.
President Akufo-Addo responded to Mr. Mahama’s remark at the 23rd Ghana Bar Association (GBA) Conference in Cape Coast today [Sept. 10], stating that the attack is “extremely dangerous” to the independence of the judiciary.
According to John Dramani Mahama, the fourth president of the Fourth Republic, “I have gone into this matter in detail because a new issue has been introduced into our public discourse by no less a public figure than the fourth president of the fourth republic, who has told the world that I have packed the courts with so-called NPP judges and that one of the key purposes a putative NDC victory in 2024 will be to enable him to balance the courts with so-called NDC judges.”
In addition to being novel in our public discourse, he continued, these ideas “represent the brazen assault on the independence of the judiciary by supposedly responsible politicians.”
As a result, President Akufo-Addo pleaded with the populace to hold Mr. Mahama responsible for his “reckless” remarks that were intended to undermine the judiciary.
He argued that it is necessary to respect the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, which is essential to maintaining the rule of law in the nation.
