The New Patriotic Party (NPP), along with four other political parties, has officially notified the Ghana Police Service of their plans to stage a demonstration on May 5 against President John Mahama’s decision to suspend Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkonoo.
The suspension followed the establishment of a prima facie case after three separate petitions were filed calling for her removal.
However, the political parties involved have strongly condemned the decision, calling it a direct attack on the independence of the judiciary.
Speaking to JoyNews, NPP Director of Communications Richard Ahiagba expressed the party’s concerns, stating that the suspension undermines judicial independence and is a politically motivated move aimed at weakening the judiciary.
“All of us are united, the five political parties are united in leading this demonstration. The indications we are getting are that other political parties are warming up to join. In the coming days, you will see that the number of parties supporting this will increase.
This is a call for all Ghanaians to come out and demonstrate against the President’s move to remove the Chief Justice, which we find to be against the constitution, egregious, and a political attempt to subjugate the judiciary,” he said.
Mr. Ahiagba confirmed that the demonstration would begin at 7 am on May 5, starting from a park opposite the Supreme Court, proceeding through Parliament House, and ending at the Jubilee House, where the petition will be submitted to President Mahama or a representative.
He added, “We went to the registry, we submitted our notice for the demonstration on the 5th. Our request is for the police to provide security, and we have every intention to make it a peaceful demonstration. Their role is to support us and ensure that the demonstration goes on peacefully, without any disruption to public order.”
He also emphasized that this demonstration is about defending Ghana’s democracy. “Ultimately, we see this as an effort aimed at destroying our democracy, and we will not stand for it.”
Mr. Ahiagba addressed the withdrawal of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) from the protest. He accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of plotting to disrupt the upcoming demonstration by influencing participants to withdraw.
“I’m not sure any political party worth its salt would want to withdraw from a legitimate demonstration. If you go back in our history, in May 1992, when the ban on political party activities was lifted, this country came alive. Now, when we have the chance to preserve our democracy, it’s strange for any political party to say they won’t be part of it,” he said.
He suggested that the NDC might be behind efforts to weaken the resolve of participating parties.
“We know about efforts to water down our resolve. We know about efforts by the government to weaken our front. But we urge the leadership of GUM to stand strong and stand for democracy. If you don’t have democracy, you don’t have a political party. So, they should reconsider their position,” he said.
ALSO READ: