Following the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, a coalition of political parties has announced a nationwide protest scheduled for Monday, May 5, 2025.
The protest intends to resist what they term a “reckless assault” on democracy in Ghana.
Among the groups participating in the protest are the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), National Democratic Party (NDP), People’s National Party (PNP), and the Ghana Union Movement (GUM).
The protest is a response to what they describe as the unlawful suspension of the Chief Justice and the dismissal of multiple public service appointments.
In a statement released following an emergency meeting on Thursday, April 24, 2025, the parties expressed their concern that the essence of Ghana’s constitutional order is under threat.
“This is not about politics. This is about principle. This is a fight for Ghana,” the statement read.
They are urging all citizens, civil society organisations, and religious institutions to partake in what they describe as a non-partisan national effort to safeguard judicial independence.
“We will not allow political power to erode the foundations of our republic,” they asserted, cautioning that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), currently in power, intentionally seeks to undermine independent institutions.
Referencing the suspension of the Chief Justice as an example, the coalition argues that this action is part of a more extensive plan to “control every branch of government, including the judiciary”.
They likened the ongoing crisis to a previous misguided attempt by the NDC in 2010 to oust Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, the first woman to serve in that role.
“History is being repeated. We must not remain silent,” they stated.
The coalition claims that credible intelligence indicates a larger conspiracy at play.
They assert that after reshaping the judiciary with “loyalist appointments,” there are plans to interpret the constitution in a manner that would enable a third-term bid for former President John Mahama in the 2028 elections.
“This isn’t conjecture. This is a carefully calculated agenda,” the statement said.
Furthermore, the protest aims to draw attention to what they see as the unlawful termination of public servants, which they characterise as a vindictive effort to replace experienced professionals with political allies.
“Is this the future Mahama promised?” the statement questioned. “A regime of fear, where livelihoods are sacrificed on the altar of political vengeance?” they questioned.
In a final appeal, the coalition warned of the encroaching threat of tyranny and called upon the so-called “silent majority” to take action.
“To remain indifferent is to endorse the rise of an authoritarian state. Be a citizen, not a spectator. Stand for democracy. Oppose dictatorship,” the statement added.