Afenyo-Markin, Ayariga lock horns over procedure at Justice Baffoe-Bonnie's vetting as Chief Justice nominee
There were sharp exchanges and procedural objections in Parliament on Monday at the Appointments Committee sitting when Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, appeared for vetting as a nominee for the position Chief Justice.
The Monday session [Nov 10, 2025], chaired by the First Deputy Speaker, Bernard Ahiafor, was dominated by a heated confrontation between the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga.
The two leaders disagreed over language, procedure, and the interpretation of parliamentary rules.
What was expected to be a straightforward vetting process quickly turned into a tense debate over whether the Minority could question the process that led to the removal of the former Chief Justice, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, and the constitutional basis of the current nomination.
Mr Afenyo-Markin, speaking on behalf of the Minority Caucus, described the vetting as “a test of whether Ghana’s judiciary will remain independent or fall under executive and political control.”
He also referred to Justice Baffoe-Bonnie as a “disputed nominee,” a remark that drew immediate objections from the Majority side.
Mr Ayariga, rising on a point of order, cited Standing Orders 122 and 123, arguing that the comment breached parliamentary procedure. He said describing the nominee as “disputed” was improper and contrary to Order 123(7), which bars discussion of the conduct of judges or the Chief Justice unless brought by a substantive motion.
“You are not in court challenging his nomination,” Mr Ayariga said. “To the extent that there is no dispute before any court or this committee, it is wrong to refer to him as a disputed nominee.”
In reply, Mr Afenyo-Markin accused the Majority Leader of trying to intimidate the Minority and curtail their right to express legitimate concerns. “The rule he relied upon applies to debate on the floor, not to this committee,” he said.
“This attempt to silence the Minority is wrong. We have a right to make our position known.”
The exchanges drew in other members of the Committee. Mr Alhassan Tampuli, MP for Gushegu, appealed to the Chair to allow the Minority Leader to finish his statement to ensure fairness. Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Minority Chief Whip, added that parliamentary practice, not just written rules, should guide such proceedings.
The Chairman, Mr Ahiafor, repeatedly called for calm and urged members to stay within the rules. He cautioned both leaders against using offensive language and directed that the term “disputed nominee” be removed from the official record.
Tension rose again when Mr Afenyo-Markin referred to the committee that investigated the removal of Justice Torkornoo as having conducted its work “in opaque circumstances,” calling it “a travesty of justice.” Mr Ayariga objected, prompting another ruling from the Chair that such remarks be expunged to protect the rights of persons not present before the Committee.
At one point, Mr Ahiafor reminded members that “the whole world is watching” and that the Committee was not sitting to review the actions of another judicial or parliamentary body.
For over an hour, the exchanges overshadowed the substantive vetting of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, as members focused more on procedural issues than on the nominee’s qualifications.
Mr Alhassan Tampuli, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, and Mr Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor also contributed to the debate on the validity of the objections raised by Mr Mahama Ayariga and Minority Leader Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, and whether their arguments were grounded in the rules or based on parliamentary practice.
The Chairman of the Committee later called for a cocoa break to ease tensions before proceedings resumed with the substantive vetting of the nominee.
