The Member of Parliament for Assutifi South, Alhaji Collins Dauda, has hit back at the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, describing him as a “confused politician” following his claims that Ghana is “mourning democracy” after the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, had earlier said that Ghana is ‘mourning democracy’ following the removal of the Chief Justice, arguing that the government should have waited for all three petitions to be reviewed before a final decision was taken. According to him, the decision smacks of political manipulation and erodes public confidence in the judiciary.
But Alhaji Collins Dauda strongly disagrees. In an interview, he maintained that the process leading to the Chief Justice’s removal was consistent with the provisions of the 1992 Constitution and should not be politicized.
“It is the Minority Leader who is a confused politician. We went through the processes outlined in the constitution for the removal of the Chief Justice. He should cite a breach,” Collins Dauda said.
He explained that the law does not require all petitions to be concluded before a final decision is made. The constitutional procedure, he argued, is clear: once a petition establishes sufficient grounds and the committee recommends removal, the President has no choice but to act.
“If you are in court and you are charged for four counts and you are cleared for three and you lose one, the court will not say because you won three, you should go scot-free. They will jail you because of the one. It’s the same principle here,” he emphasized.
The Assutifi South lawmaker insisted that government had been transparent throughout the process, and that the removal was not an act of political witch-hunting as suggested by the Minority. He added that the President merely upheld his constitutional oath to defend and protect the Constitution, an obligation that could not be compromised.
“For the sake of transparency, we have been transparent. The report is clear that she must be removed and she has been removed by the President in accordance with the laid-down processes. The President swore to uphold the Constitution, do you expect him to throw that away just to please the Minority?” he asked.
Alhaji Collins Dauda further noted that while the Minority continues to describe the decision as an attack on democracy, Ghanaians should rather be worried about what he called “confused arguments” from the opposition leadership.
“What Ghanaians must mourn is not democracy but the way the Minority Leader is misleading the public. We must be honest: the President acted within the law, and that is what matters,” he added.
The controversy stems from the dismissal of Chief Justice Torkornoo on September 1, 2025, by President John Dramani Mahama. The decision followed the recommendations of a committee formed under Article 146(6) of the Constitution to investigate a petition submitted by Ghanaian citizen Daniel Ofori. The committee found grounds of “stated misbehaviour” and recommended her removal, which the President acted upon in accordance with Article 146(9).
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
