The Minority Caucus in Parliament has issued a strong condemnation of what it describes as a clear breach of the 1992 Constitution, citing the concurrent absence of the President, Vice President, and Speaker of Parliament from the nation without the appointment of an Acting President.
In a press release dated Monday, May 12, 2025, the Minority disclosed that all three high-ranking officials were abroad simultaneously, a scenario they contend violates Article 60 of the Constitution.
The regulation stipulates that in the event both the President and Vice President are not present, the Speaker of Parliament is required to be sworn in to assume the role of President.
At the time of this announcement, President John Dramani Mahama was in Togo for the African Union Debt Conference, while Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman was in the United Kingdom for medical treatment.
The Minority further pointed out that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, who was expected to take over, was also abroad.
As per the Constitution, in the event that all three officials are unavailable, the Chief Justice is required to take on presidential responsibilities.
However, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo is presently suspended. The Minority characterized this situation as a ‘deliberate and calculated’ action, accusing the government of regarding the Constitution as ‘an inconvenience rather than a binding framework.’
In a statement issued by the Minority’s legal representative, John Darko, it was cautioned that such violations of the Constitution represent a significant danger to the democratic principles and governance of Ghana.
‘We will hold the President and his Vice accountable to their oath of office, which necessitates adherence to the Constitution.
If necessary, we will invoke the appropriate legal provisions to ensure that violations of the Constitution are addressed,’ the statement concluded.
