The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, to withdraw comments it said were politically biased and show support for President John Dramani Mahama’s agenda, or step down from the bench and openly join the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The party’s demand comes after a viral video in which the Chief Justice is alleged to have praised the performance of the current NDC administration and its heads of state institutions over the previous NPP government.
In the footage, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie is quoted as saying, “Sometimes when we hear how well some state organisations are doing now, we wonder what we really have been doing in the past eight years.”
In a press statement dated September 3, 2026, and signed by General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP said such utterances were unbecoming of the leader of Ghana’s Judiciary.
According to the NPP, the Chief Justice heads an independent arm of government and must demonstrate strict political neutrality while remaining faithful to his judicial oath to dispense justice without fear, favour, affection or ill will.
The party also faulted the Chief Justice for what it described as his regular appearance at programmes organised by political appointees of the current administration, contending that the move risks eroding public trust in the impartiality of the Judiciary.
The NPP further raised concerns over the Chief Justice’s reported pledge to do all within his power to guarantee the success of the President’s agenda, especially at a time when several NPP-linked individuals were being prosecuted under the government’s Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) programme.
“A Chief Justice swears a single oath, and it is to the Constitution: to no President, no party and no agenda,” the statement said.
The NPP again accused the Judiciary under Justice Baffoe-Bonnie of acting with prejudice against opposition figures, pointing to what it termed the “extraordinary alacrity” with which vacation warrants are being issued in cases involving NPP members.
