The Minority Leader, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, displayed what many described as political gymnastics during the vetting of the Chief Justice nominee. His posture and attempts to derail the process, which eventually led to a walkout, appeared more like an effort to gain personal political popularity rather than to advance the interests of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Tensions were already high leading up to the vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, the President’s nominee for Chief Justice. The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, ruled that the matters before the House did not breach either parliamentary procedure or the Constitution.
Speaking on Adekyee Mu Nsem, the morning show on Ahotor 92.3 FM hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu, Jorobon Emmanuel, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication Team, commended the Majority in Parliament for maintaining decorum and not using their numerical strength to manipulate the process.
He praised Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga for firmly responding to what he described as baseless political statements from the Minority Leader, intended to disrupt the vetting process and score political points.
Meanwhile, Daboya-Mankarigu MP, Shaibu Mahama, accused the Minority of attending the vetting with a predetermined agenda rather than a genuine intent to seek answers.
“Clearly, the Minority came not to ask questions but to execute a script,” he said. “Unfortunately, they couldn’t mark the script.”
Mr. Mahama defended the actions of the Majority Leader during the tense session, insisting that every step taken was within parliamentary rules.
“Every single act by the Majority Leader was in line with the rules and regulations governing the proceedings of Parliament,” he stated.
He further explained that the Appointments Committee operates under the same procedural framework as the full House, and therefore, the Majority Leader was right to object when the Minority raised issues that contravened those rules.
“Indeed, the Appointments Committee is an extension of Parliament, and the same rules apply. If any issue raised offends those rules, the Majority Leader has every right to object,” he emphasized.
Mr. Mahama added that the Minority’s behavior showed a lack of preparedness and constructive intent.
“They did not come to the party,” he said. “Initially, they had announced they wouldn’t even attend the vetting. Then suddenly, they appeared with a script—but unfortunately, they couldn’t follow it.”
His comments came after a dramatic turn of events during Monday’s vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie. The Minority Caucus boycotted the process after a heated exchange between Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, which forced a 30-minute suspension of proceedings.
When the session resumed, the Minority announced their decision to abstain and walked out, leaving the vetting to be conducted solely by members of the Majority side of the Appointments Committee.
Mr. Mahama maintained that the Majority’s handling of the situation was procedurally sound and that the Minority’s walkout was driven more by politics than principle.
Earlier, Minority Leader Afenyo-Markin had declared his side’s rejection of the nominee:
“Be it known to you, Mr. Chairman, the Committee, and the nation, that we, the Minority Caucus, hereby vote en bloc to reject the nominee. The Majority may proceed with their questions, but we will not participate. Let the records reflect that the report of this committee be a majority report,” he stated.
The vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie thus ended in controversy, with the Minority abstaining from participation and the Majority proceeding alone.