The Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutuom, Emmanuel Tobbin, has strongly criticised President John Mahama over the removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, warning that a future New Patriotic Party (NPP) government could respond in kind.
Speaking in an interview on Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM, Mr. Tobbin described the development as a dangerous precedent that undermines judicial independence and erodes public confidence in the rule of law.
“It is surprising how Mahama is ruling this country. Things are not going well. The only institution Ghanaians believed could deliver fairness has now been tampered with by removing the Chief Justice,” he lamented.
The Anyaa-Sowutuom legislator alleged that the allegations levelled against Justice Torkornoo were “fraudulent” and politically motivated. He argued that the decision could push the country backwards rather than forward.
“When the NPP comes to power by God’s will, whoever President Mahama appoints as Chief Justice, we will also remove the person. Is that how we want to move forward as a country or backwards?” he questioned.
Mr. Tobbin further warned that the decision could create fear within the judiciary, making judges apprehensive about presiding over sensitive cases.
“Now judges may sit in fear because if a ruling does not go in the President’s favour, they risk being removed,” he added.
Chief Justice Torkornoo was removed from office on September 1, 2025, after a Committee of Inquiry chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Pwamang recommended her dismissal for stated misbehaviour.
The Committee was established under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution following a petition against her after her suspension on April 22, 2025.
President Mahama, bound by Article 146(9), accepted the Committee’s recommendation, making Justice Torkornoo the first Chief Justice to be removed under this constitutional provision.
The decision has divided opinion, with government officials defending the process as due diligence, while opposition figures argue it undermines judicial independence.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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