The main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), together with four other political parties, has announced a nationwide demonstration scheduled for 5th May in response to the suspension of the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
The four other political parties include the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), the National Democratic Party (NDP), the People’s National Party (PNP), and the Ghana Union Movement (GUM).
At an emergency meeting held on Thursday, 24th April, the political parties described the Chief Justice’s suspension as unlawful and a “blatant disregard for the rule of law.”
A joint statement issued by the parties accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of a calculated attempt to undermine and intimidate the judiciary.
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The statement asserted:
The disturbing trend of judicial intimidation by the NDC is not new. The pattern is undeniable. A case in point is the NDC’s failed plot in 2010 to remove Ghana’s first female Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood.
History is repeating itself. The NDC’s obsession with capturing and controlling every arm of government – including the independent judiciary – is playing out before our very eyes. We must not remain silent.
The parties further stated:
This reckless assault on the independence of the judiciary is not merely an attack on one individual; it represents a grave threat to the very Constitution that upholds our democracy. Ghanaians must not forget the chilling legacy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in its dealings with the judiciary.
Describing the planned protest as a clarion call for justice and democracy, the NPP and the four allied parties called on all well-meaning citizens – including civil society organisations and religious bodies – to join the demonstration.
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The Chief Justice was suspended on Tuesday, 22nd April, pursuant to Article 146(6) of the 1992 Constitution.
The decision followed consultations between the President and the Council of State, after a prima facie case was established from three separate petitions submitted against her.
