The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the Chief Justice to resign over a video it claims contains partisan political remarks.
According to the party, the comments undermine the Chief Justice’s impartiality and raise concerns about the ability to fairly adjudicate cases involving the government.
The controversy stems from remarks made during the Chief Justice’s visit to the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) on Wednesday, September 2, where the Chief Justice commended the performance of MIIF and other state institutions.
Reflecting on the developments observed during the visit, the Chief Justice remarked that they had prompted questions about what Ghana had been doing over the previous eight years.
“I must congratulate you. I mean, you have done marvellously well. See, because sometimes when we hear the things that you have done, the things that some organisations are doing now, we wonder; some of us keep wondering what really we have been doing in the past eight years,” Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said.
He made the remarks following a visit to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), where he said he was similarly impressed by the information presented to him about the institution’s performance.
Drawing a comparison with previous plans to dispose of some SSNIT assets, including the Labadi Beach Hotel, the Chief Justice said: “If you compare that to the fact that not too long ago, SSNIT was preparing to sell its prized assets like Labadi Beach Hotel, you wonder how Ghana could have sunk so low.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 3, 2026, the NPP said it had watched with “profound shock and disgust” a video circulating publicly in which the Chief Justice allegedly made comparative political remarks suggesting that the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and its appointed chief executive officers were performing better than the previous NPP administration.
“This is not the language of a Chief Justice. It is the language of a party propagandist, of a kind exclusively reserved for NDC communicators and serial callers, and it has no place whatsoever in the mouth of the head of Ghana’s Judiciary,” the party stated.
The NPP said the alleged comments were inconsistent with the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the Judiciary.
The party referenced Articles 125 and 127 of the 1992 Constitution, which establish the Judiciary as an independent arm of government and provide safeguards against external control or direction.
It also pointed to the judicial oath, which requires the Chief Justice to administer justice without fear, favour, affection or ill will.
The NPP further argued that the video should not be viewed as an isolated incident, describing it instead as part of what it called a broader pattern of conduct.
The party alleged that the Chief Justice had increasingly appeared at events involving political appointees of the current administration.
According to the NPP, such appearances could raise concerns about the perception of judicial neutrality, particularly in matters involving the Executive.
The party maintained that a Chief Justice who publicly associates with the Executive and makes political comparisons risks undermining public confidence in the Judiciary’s ability to act as an impartial arbiter.
“He has presented himself not as the impartial head of an independent Judiciary but as a leading member of the National Democratic Congress in judicial robes,” the party stated.
It added:
“If political commentary is his true vocation, he should resign forthwith and formally take up membership of the NDC, where such contributions are handsomely rewarded.”
The party also took issue with what it described as the Chief Justice’s vow that “everything must be done to ensure that the agenda of the President succeeds.”
The party also criticised what it described as the Chief Justice’s pledge that “everything must be done to ensure that the agenda of the President succeeds.”
The NPP questioned the implications of such a statement for cases involving its members and other individuals being prosecuted under the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.
According to the party, the President’s stated agenda includes ORAL, while some NPP members and other individuals linked to the party are appearing before the courts in cases arising from the initiative.
“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 NPP asked.
The party maintained that the Chief Justice’s foremost duty and loyalty should be to the Constitution, rather than to any president, political party or government agenda.
“The day he does otherwise, he ceases to be a judge and becomes an instrument of the very power he was appointed to check,” it stated.
The NPP also alleged that the Judiciary had demonstrated what it described as “extraordinary alacrity” in handling certain cases involving its members.
It cited the incarceration of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as an example of what it characterised as selective justice.
The party further alleged that cases involving government opponents were being handled with unusual speed, while cases involving individuals perceived to be aligned with the government were progressing more slowly.
These allegations have not been independently verified, and neither the Chief Justice nor the Judicial Service has yet responded to the claims.
The NPP also alleged that the Chief Justice’s conduct had heightened concerns about possible coordination between the Judiciary and the Presidency.
In addition, the party accused the Chief Justice of failing to do enough to address what it described as deteriorating infrastructure within the Judiciary.
It claimed that several court buildings and judicial offices were in poor condition, with some courtrooms and registries facing significant infrastructural challenges.
According to the NPP, the Chief Justice had not done enough to highlight the state of these facilities or advocate for their renovation and improvement.
The party contrasted this with what it described as his growing participation in activities involving state institutions under the Executive.
“With respect, My Lord, the leaking roofs are in your courts, not in the ministries,” the statement added.
The NPP is demanding that the Chief Justice immediately and unreservedly retract what it described as his partisan commentary and pledge of loyalty to the President’s agenda.
Failing that, the party said he should resign and formally join the NDC.
The party has also called on President John Dramani Mahama to fill the vacant Council of State position and publicly disavow any arrangement concerning the Chief Justice’s post-retirement future.
The NPP said it would subsequently organise a major press conference to present what it described as the “full record” of the Chief Justice’s conduct.
The party insisted that the Judiciary belongs to the people of Ghana and must remain independent of political control.
The statement was signed by NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong.
The Chief Justice has yet to publicly respond to the allegations, while the Judicial Service has yet to issue a response.