The Deputy Minority Whip and Member of Parliament for Weija Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has denied reports that the Minority caucus staged a walkout during the vetting of Chief Justice nominee, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, describing the incident instead as “a total abuse of power” by the Majority.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (11 November), Ahmed Shaib insisted that the Minority arrived fully prepared to participate in the vetting process but were prevented from making their remarks and asking key constitutional questions.
“Nobody staged a walkout. We came in prepared. What we witnessed was an abuse of power and a deliberate attempt to silence the Minority,” he said.
He explained that the Minority’s intention was to question the propriety of proceeding with the vetting when there were “six to seven different matters” concerning the Chief Justice position pending before the courts.
“Our interest was to ask very relevant questions—to determine whether it was appropriate to continue the vetting when there were unresolved court cases,” he added.
The MP alleged that the Majority leadership frustrated attempts by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin to make opening remarks, describing the session as “chaotic and undemocratic.”
According to him, the Majority’s resistance reflected “a growing pattern of democratic decline,” warning that Ghana’s judiciary risks becoming “an extension of the executive arm of government.”
“What we are seeing is an overreach of power. The independence of the judiciary, which upholds the sanctity of our democracy, is at the verge of breaking down,” he cautioned.
Mr. Ahmed Shaib maintained that the Minority’s action was not a boycott but a protest against the committee’s conduct.
“We didn’t walk out. We were ready to do our work, but the process itself was compromised,” he said.
The Minority has already declared its rejection of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s nomination, citing constitutional violations and the existence of unresolved petitions before the president concerning the office of the Chief Justice.
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