A former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansa-Asare, has weighed in on the growing public discourse surrounding the perceived politicisation of the ongoing petitions seeking the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo from office, asserting that politics is an inherent part of human existence.
“Well, as for it being politicised, every human being is a political animal,” he said during an interview with TV3 on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in response to a question about whether partisan politics was playing a role in the process.
His comments come as Ghanaians continue to debate the legitimacy and neutrality of the petitions currently before the presidency.
For Mr. Ansa-Asare, the real issue lies not in the constitutional framework but in those who wield its instruments.
“The constitutional mechanism has been spelt out. It is the human agent who operates the Constitution.
And the human agents who operate the Constitution have their political interests challenged,” he said, noting that political actors inevitably colour the interpretation and implementation of constitutional processes.
While acknowledging the constitutional legitimacy of the petitions, he pointed out that public perceptions often hinge on who initiates the process. “Once we recognise and acknowledge the fact that it is politicians who set the machinery in motion, one can always conclude that it is being politicised,” he stated.
But Ansa-Asare was quick to stress that it is the responsibility of those entrusted with constitutional authority to restore public trust in the system.
“It is up to the operators of the Constitution to disabuse the minds of the populace that this impression or perception that we have does not chime with what they do,” he noted.
He further argued that political bias will always be alleged no matter which party is in power. “People will continue to say that if Akufo-Addo appoints, he is politicising; then Mahama appoints, politicising,” he remarked.
Despite the entrenched political perceptions, Ansa-Asare called for faith in the constitutional process. “At the end of the day, we must have confidence in the system that the operators will do what the Constitution has mandated them to do,” he said.
