Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has alleged that influential figures within the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) are orchestrating efforts to remove key officials in independent state institutions under the pretext of government restructuring.

In a letter addressed to President John Dramani Mahama and titled “One Year After: Ghana’s Democracy at a Crossroads,” the Minority Leader reviewed governance developments since the NDC’s return to power after the December 7, 2024 general elections.

Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that the wave of dismissals over the past year casts doubt on the administration’s commitment to democratic norms and institutional independence. According to him, actions that began as routine administrative changes have now evolved into what he describes as a systematic purge.

Concerns Over Removals in Key Institutions

He cited the mass dismissals of public sector workers shortly after the new government took office, describing them as unjustified and lacking due process. He further referenced the “unprecedented” removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo and ongoing pressures on leadership within the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

“First came the purge; thousands of citizens, working lawfully within state institutions and parastatals, were sent home without just cause or due process. Then came the unprecedented removal of the Chief Justice. Now, the top echelons of the Electoral Commission and the Office of the Special Prosecutor face the same fate,” Afenyo-Markin wrote.

Claims of a Coordinated Agenda

The Minority Leader asserted that these developments form part of an orchestrated pattern not driven directly by the Presidency but rather by entrenched factions within the governing party.

“A pattern emerges, clear as daylight. Party hawks are the ones apparently driving the agenda,” he claimed, warning that such interference undermines the independence of state institutions and threatens the nation’s democratic stability.

Afenyo-Markin urged the President to rein in these elements, cautioning that continued politicisation of key institutions could weaken democratic checks and balances and erode public trust.