CJ’s suspension is a step by NDC to remove EC boss – Richard Ahiagbah

Director of Communications for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has alleged that the recent suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo by President John Dramani Mahama is politically motivated.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Tuesday, moments after the announcement of the suspension, Mr Ahiagbah criticised the move, claiming it was a step to attack the Electoral Commission (EC).

“The motive is political, the politics of it is that they want to remove the Chief Justice to pave the way to aim at the Electoral Commission,” he claimed.

He argued that, in January this year, some people had petitioned the President to remove the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, but the President knew that he could only remove the EC boss with a Chief Justice who would cooperate with him.

Mr Ahiagbah claimed that, because Justice Torkornoo would not cooperate, the President and the NDC have resorted to removing the Chief Justice first, after which the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission will be targeted for removal.

“In my view, because the President thinks and knows that if he had read those petitions (Petitions to remove EC boss), the flimsy excuses in them would not be entertained by this Chief Justice (Justice Torkornoo) so a way to do it is to take away this CJ and then bring a CJ that would be more agreeable that they can use to remove the EC,” he argued on the show.

Also speaking on The Pulse, a former Deputy Attorney General, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, urged caution in the treatment of heads of independent arms of government.

“We have to be very careful the way we treat the head of any arm of government in Ghana, we have three main arms, the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary, the expectation is that the Council of State will play a role in such a way that we can have a balance stand,” he said.

Read Also: Council of State advice on Chief Justice suspension was poisonous – Tuah-Yeboah

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