Former Convention People’s Party (CPP) running mate and legal practitioner, Woyoe Ghanamannti, has taken a firm stance against what he describes as the “idolization” of the presidency in Ghana, calling for a return to constitutional principles that emphasize equality before the law.
Ghanamannti expressed disappointment at recent comments made by lawyer Abraham Amaliba, who reportedly described former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo as “behaving like a cry baby.”
The former CPP running mate found the remark disrespectful and used it to highlight what he believes is an ongoing culture of excessive reverence for the presidency.
“For my learned friend Amaliba to say that the former Chief Justice of this republic is behaving like a cry baby, then I can equally also say that the President is behaving like a bully,” he said Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Insight.
“The Chief Justice is the third most important person in this country.”
Ghanamannti stressed that Ghana’s Constitution places sovereignty in the hands of the people, not in the office of the President or any political leader.
“Article 1 of the Constitution says the sovereignty of this nation resides in the people. Government, whether NDC or NPP, exercises authority on behalf of the people. Saying ‘the President, the President’ as if he is more important than all of us is wrong,” he asserted.
He further clarified that his argument was not targeted at any particular leader but rather at the perception of presidential infallibility that has crept into Ghana’s political culture.
“And it’s not about President Mahama. It’s not about President Akufo-Addo. It’s not about Kwame Nkrumah. It’s not about any of them or their persona. I’m talking about the position,” he explained. “Let us begin to learn from this concept that the President is not a demi god.”
According to Ghanamannti, the tendency to treat presidents as untouchable figures undermines democracy and accountability.
“It’s only in Africa, and only in Ghana, that we make presidents demigods. Presidents are not demigods. They are ordinary citizens like us, chosen through political parties and elections. They can be removed. Article 69 of the Constitution is clear on that,” he added.
