Accra: Mr John Darko, the Legal Counsel to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament, on Tuesday condemned President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to remove Chief Justice (CJ) Gertrude Torkornoo from office.

According to Ghana News Agency, in a statement signed by Mr Darko and issued to the press, he described the president’s action as ‘a flagrant assault on the judiciary by the head of the executive branch of the government,’ which he argued highlights the administration’s destructive impact on state institutions. The Minority Caucus contends that the removal of Chief Justice Torkornoo was driven not by legal or constitutional considerations but by President Mahama’s ambition to control all governmental powers.

The statement further compared Ghana’s situation to countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, which have previously removed their chief justices for political reasons. It cited President Mahama’s address to National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawyers and remarks by NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia advocating for the removal of Justice Torkornoo and the Chair of the Electoral Commission as part of a broader agenda to undermine state institutions.

Mr Darko, who is also the NPP Member of Parliament for Suame, termed the situation ‘a judicial coup’ and urged Ghanaians, including chiefs, clergy, and the media, to vehemently oppose the president’s decision.

President Mahama’s decision on Monday, September 1, 2025, was made in compliance with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates the president to act on the recommendations of a committee set up under Article 146(6). Presidential Spokesman Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu stated that the decision followed a report by the committee, which investigated a petition from a citizen, Mr Daniel Ofori, and found grounds for removal based on state misbehavior as per Article 146(1). The committee recommended the Chief Justice’s removal, and under constitutional obligation, the president executed the recommendation.