Political parties rally nationwide protest over Chief Justice suspension on May 5

A coalition of political parties has declared a nationwide protest for Monday, May 5, 2025, vowing to resist what they describe as a “reckless assault” on Ghana’s democracy.

This follows what they say is the unlawful suspension of the Chief Justice and the termination of several public service appointments.

In a sharply worded statement issued after an emergency meeting on Thursday, April 24, the parties warned that the soul of Ghana’s constitutional order is under siege.

“This is not about politics. This is about principle. This is a fight for Ghana,” the statement read.

The group behind the protest includes 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).

They called on all citizens, civil society organisations, and religious groups to join what they call a non-partisan, national call to defend judicial independence.

“We will not allow political power to erode the foundations of our republic,” they declared, warning that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which currently leads government, is deliberately attempting to compromise all independent institutions.

Citing the suspension of the Chief Justice as the most egregious example, the parties claim the move is not an isolated incident but part of a broader scheme to “capture every arm of government, even the judiciary.”

They compared the current crisis to a previous failed attempt by the NDC in 2010 to remove the late Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, Ghana’s first female to hold the position.

“History is being repeated. We must not remain silent.”

According to the coalition, credible political intelligence points to a wider plot. They allege that after reconstituting the judiciary with “loyalist appointments,” there are plans to pursue constitutional interpretation at the Supreme Court, aimed at legitimising 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.

The protest also seeks to highlight what they term the unlawful dismissal of public servants, describing it as a vindictive move to replace career professionals with political loyalists.

“Is this the future Mahama promised?” the statement questioned. “A regime of fear, where livelihoods are sacrificed on the altar of political vengeance?”

In a final rallying cry, the group warned of creeping tyranny and called on the so-called “silent majority” to rise.

“To remain indifferent is to endorse the rise of an authoritarian state. Be a citizen, not a spectator. Stand for democracy. Oppose dictatorship.”