Minority condemns constitutional breach over absence of President, Veep and Speaker

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has strongly condemned what it calls a blatant violation of the 1992 Constitution, following the simultaneous absence of the President, Vice President, and Speaker of Parliament from the country—without the swearing-in of an Acting President.

In a press statement issued on Monday, May 12, 2025, the Minority revealed that all three top officials were out of the country at the same time, a situation they argue contravenes Article 60 of the Constitution.

The provision requires that when both the President and Vice President are unavailable, the Speaker of Parliament must be sworn in to act as President.

At the time of the statement, President John Dramani Mahama was in Togo attending the African Union Debt Conference, while Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman was in the United Kingdom receiving medical treatment.

The Minority also noted that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin—who should have stepped in—was likewise outside the country.

According to the Constitution, if all three are unavailable, the Chief Justice is expected to assume presidential duties. However, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo is currently under suspension.

Describing the situation as a “deliberate and calculated” act, the Minority accused the government of treating the Constitution as “an inconvenience rather than a binding framework.”

Signed by the Minority’s legal counsel, John Darko, the statement warned that such constitutional infractions pose a serious threat to Ghana’s democratic foundation and governance.

“We will hold the President and his Vice accountable to their oath of office, which demands fidelity to the Constitution. Where necessary, we shall invoke the relevant provisions of law to ensure that constitutional breaches do not go unpunished,” the statement concluded.