Chief Justice removal was political plot – MP

The Member of Parliament for Suame, John Darko, has criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo by President John Dramani Mahama.

In an interview on Saturday, September 6, 2025, Mr. Darko called the removal a politically motivated move orchestrated by the NDC while they were in opposition.

He alleged that President Mahama had long planned to remove the Chief Justice, and that the recent petition filed by Daniel Ofori was not the real trigger for the decision, contrary to public reports.

Mr. Darko pointed to comments from senior NDC leaders, including National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia, as evidence of the President’s intentions even before the petition was submitted.

“The whole situation with the judiciary is a political maneuver by the NDC, and I must say they executed it skillfully. The petition by Daniel Ofori did not start this process,” he said.

“What really began this was the President’s determination to remove the Chief Justice something he openly expressed. In meetings with NDC lawyers and in subsequent public statements by figures like Chairman Asiedu Nketia, the President’s position was clear.

“These remarks were made before the petition was even filed. So, what was the true basis for those claims?” Mr. Darko questioned.

On Monday, September 1, 2025, President John Dramani Mahama officially removed Justice Torkornoo from office under Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution.

A statement from the Presidency explained that the removal followed the recommendation of a committee set up under Article 146(6) to investigate the petition lodged by Daniel Ofori.

The decision took immediate effect.

The statement, signed by Presidential Spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu, emphasized that the President was constitutionally obligated to act on the committee’s recommendation.