Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of being inconsistent over President John Dramani Mahama’s recent nominations to the Supreme Court.
President Mahama has nominated three people to serve on the country’s highest court.
They are Court of Appeal Justices Sophia Bernasko-Essah and Amoako Asante, as well as legal practitioner and former Ghana Bar Association President Tony Forson.
Justice Amoako Asante previously served as President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice before returning to Ghana’s judiciary.
Speaking in an interview on July 17, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the President has the constitutional power to appoint judges, but he questioned the NDC’s position on the issue.
“The president has the mandate to do that, but there’s a political question. The political question is: Is the NDC a principled political party? I submit that they are not a principled political party,” he said.
The Effutu MP argued that the NDC strongly criticised the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government over similar Supreme Court appointments but is now taking a different position.
“In opposition, they criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for packing the court,” he said.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin also referred to the debate that surrounded the approval of previous Supreme Court nominees.
He accused the NDC of changing its position now that it is in government.
“Unfortunately, as fate would have it, time has exposed their double standards, their hypocrisy, and their unprincipled posture,” he said.
He also questioned whether the NDC now supports the appointment of more Supreme Court judges despite its earlier objections.
“Is it now okay to nominate more judges to the Supreme Court?” he asked.
