Former Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu has taken aim at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for appointing Henry Kwasi Prempeh as Chair of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), warning that the move may backfire disastrously in the lead-up to the 2028 elections.
In a no-holds-barred open letter available to MyNewsGH, Amidu expressed deep concerns about the political and ideological leanings of Prempeh, stating plainly, “The Constitution is not the problem or the Council of State.
The problem is with We the People, particularly the educated and enlightened political elite and middle class.” He believes that those trusted to defend Ghana’s constitutional values have been compromised by personal gain and partisanship.
Citing historical context, Amidu noted that the CRC Chair’s association with institutions such as the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) should not be overlooked.
“The timing of the IEA facilitation process and the intervention of the Chairman of the CRC… gives one the impression that the IEA forum is being used for ideological partisan politics once again.”
He did not mince words about the historical role of these NGOs in Ghana’s political landscape, stating: “The IEA was established in 1989 to facilitate the demise of the PNDC and later the NDC governments. The CDD-Ghana emerged in 1998 out of the IEA with the assistance of the political officer at United States Embassy… They have a clear geopolitical agenda under the cover of NGOs.”
According to Amidu, Kwasi Prempeh’s recent comments advocating reform of the Council of State are steeped in contradiction.
“Did the inadequacies of the Council of State show only after 7 January 2025?” he asked, pointing out that Prempeh himself served under President Akufo-Addo’s administration without raising such objections.
Amidu, who was a member of the 1991 Consultative Assembly that drafted the 1992 Constitution, defended the Council of State as a deliberate creation meant to mediate among Ghana’s three arms of government.
“The framers of the 1992 Constitution intended that all public office holders would uphold their oath of office and act with honour and integrity… the constitutional document depends solely on human actors and agency for its viability.”
He warned that the NDC’s decision to place trust in Prempeh could echo past mistakes. “The NDC has chosen to utilize the four-year term of President John Dramani Mahama to sup with the devil by appointing Henry Kwasi Prempeh… I only pray that the NDC has a long spoon.”
With the 2028 elections on the horizon, Amidu invoked an old Akan proverb: “Aboa bi beka wo a, na ofiiri wo ntoma mu” – meaning, if an insect bites you, it’s already inside your cloth. He concluded with a word of caution to the NDC: “A stitch in time saves nine. A word to the wise is in the north.”
