The vetting of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, President John Dramani Mahama’s nominee for Chief Justice, was engulfed in procedural clashes and a dramatic walk-out by the Minority Caucus of Parliament on Monday, 10 November 2025. What was expected to be a routine constitutional step turned into a full-blown confrontation before the nominee even took his seat.
Tensions escalated quickly in the chamber of the Appointments Committee of Parliament when the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, objected to remarks made by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo‑Markin, who described Justice Baffoe-Bonnie as a “disputed nominee”. Ayariga argued that the term breached Standing Orders, accusing the minority of seeking to challenge the nominee’s legitimacy rather than focusing on his suitability. Afenyo-Markin, however, held that the ministerial process and earlier removal of the previous Chief Justice — Gertrude Torkornoo — warranted full scrutiny.
The session was suspended for nearly 30 minutes after the exchange. Upon reconvening, the Minority announced en bloc that they would boycott the vetting. “We hereby vote en bloc to reject the nominee… the records should reflect that the report of this committee be a majority report,” Afenyo-Markin declared before leading his members out. Their departure left only Majority members to proceed with the questioning of the nominee.
Chairing the session, Bernard Ahiafor repeatedly urged decorum and stepped in to rule that references to the committee investigating the ouster of Justice Torkornoo be expunged from the official record. He reminded members that the Appointments Committee’s task was to vet the nominee before them, not to revisit other bodies’ reports.
With the boycott in effect, the vetting then moved forward solely with the nominee, who faced questions from Majority MPs on his vision for the judiciary and how he would tackle current institutional challenges. Observers noted the process bore the marks of a divided Parliament and a judiciary under political strain.
Critics argue that the absence of the Minority risks undermining the perceived fairness and bipartisan nature of the vetting process—particularly for an appointment as consequential as Chief Justice. The Minority’s concerns centred on the timing of the nomination, the fact that legal challenges against Justice Torkornoo’s removal are still pending, and what they view as inadequate consultation with broader stakeholders.
