Mr. Stephen Obikyenbi Junior, Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Nkwanta South, Oti Region, has accused President John Dramani Mahama of acting with premeditation in the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Essaba Sackey Torkornoo.
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In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr. Obikyenbi alleged that the move formed part of a broader plan to consolidate political power and undermine the independence of the judiciary.
He recalled that President Mahama, while serving as flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), had publicly declared his intention to remove both the Chief Justice and the Electoral Commissioner if he assumed the presidency.
According to him, the NDC National Chairman, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, and other leading members of the party have also reinforced that position.
Mr. Obikyenbi described the removal as a “political gimmick” and “a staged act” cloaked in legal provisions. “This is staged, and the reliance on Article 146 (6 & 9), though legal, was delivered with political colouring.
We remember the campaign messages vividly where he said forcefully that he would remove and appoint NDC members to the bench, which is what we are witnessing today,” he asserted.
He further questioned the consistency of President Mahama, recalling his condemnation of the dismissal of the former Electoral Commissioner, and asked, “If President Mahama at the time condemned the removal of the Electoral Commissioner, why is he repeating the same act now? Is it vengeance?”
Mr. Obikyenbi also predicted that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Jean Mensa, together with two other commissioners, may soon face removal, citing earlier calls by Mr. Asiedu Nketia for their dismissal.
Meanwhile, Mr. Peter Nlepa, the NDC Communications Officer for the Krachi East Constituency, has defended President Mahama’s decision, describing it as constitutional and based on due process.
In a rebuttal, Mr. Nlepa said President Mahama acted strictly within the provisions of the 1992 Constitution, following the recommendations of a committee established under Article 146. He noted that the committee was constituted to inquire into a petition submitted by a Ghanaian citizen, Mr. Daniel Ofori.
He explained that after carefully reviewing the petition and evidence, the committee concluded that grounds of stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1) had been established and accordingly recommended the Chief Justice’s removal from office.
Mr. Nlepa stressed that the President merely implemented the committee’s recommendation as required by law, emphasizing that the action was not politically motivated but constitutionally mandated. Article 146(1) had been established and recommended her removal from office.
