A retired Supreme Court judge, His Lordship Justice William Atuguba, has criticised the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for what he describes as a hypocritical stance regarding the suspension of Ghana’s Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.

In an interview with Accra-based Joy News, Justice Atuguba responded to a protest organised by the NPP and supported by allied political parties, questioning the party’s credibility on matters of judicial independence.

“How were they when they were in office? How did they perform? Acting transparently in the interest of the people — did they do that? These are the kinds of things I just hate. That is pure hypocrisy,” he stated.

“The exclusion of public interest in our political space is very troubling. Before the elections, it was common on social media to refer to the Supreme Court as ‘Unanimous FC’. Was it President Mahama who was doing that? They were in office — what steps did they take?”

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its allies have intensified their public campaign, appearing across various media platforms and staging a protest in Accra on Monday, May 5, 2025, to demand the immediate reinstatement of the embattled Chief Justice.

According to the NPP, President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to suspend Chief Justice Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo was unconstitutional and politically motivated.

The NPP maintains that President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to suspend Justice Torkornoo is both unconstitutional and politically motivated. Party leaders argue that the suspension poses a serious threat to the independence of the judiciary.