President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has descended heavily on the 2024 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, for his recent attack on the judiciary.
President Akufo-Addo says the attack is “extremely dangerous” to the independence of the judiciary.
He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to reject the former President’s bid to return to power in 2024.
“Not only are these concepts of ‘NPP’ and ‘NDC’ judges new in our public discourse, but are also extremely dangerous,” he said at the 23rd Ghana Bar Association Annual Conference in Cape Coast on Monday, September 11.
“And represent the most brazen attack on the independence of the judiciary by any allegedly responsible politician of the 4th Republic.
“They provide another reason, if more were needed, why right-thinking citizens should ensure the defeat in 2024 of the man whom the first Special Prosecutor identified as Government Official No.1 in the still unresolved Airbus Bribery Scandal.”
This comes after former President Mahama last weekend urged lawyers aligned to the NDC to get prepared to be appointed to the bench in order to “balance out what the current situation is”.
Addressing the 3rd Annual Lawyers Conference of the NDC on Saturday, September 2, the three-time Presidential Candidate accused President Akufo-Addo of appointing the highest number of judges.
“You can see what the current president has done,” he noted.
“He has appointed the biggest number of judges onto the bench, it is more than 80 towards 100 and counting.
“He has packed the court and we know they have packed the court because they want to avoid accountability after they have left office.”
He, therefore, charged the NDC lawyers to ready themselves for similar appointments when he ascends the presidency again.
“We must be prepared as NDC legal persons to also go onto the bench so that we can balance out the judiciary.
“Currently, the judiciary is packed with NPP-inclined judges because this government has carried out a deliberate policy of putting their people on to the bench.
“So, I encourage some of you to look at careers on the bench so that we can balance out what the current situation is.”