The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched a strong attack on the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), alleging a systematic attempt to capture key state institutions particularly the Judiciary following the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkonoo.

Speaking at the launch of the NPP’s Amended 2025 Constitution, General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua claimed the Akufo-Addo administration’s successor is consolidating political control in a manner that threatens the country’s democratic foundations.

According to him, the alleged “executive capture” is designed to influence court decisions, overturn parliamentary seats legitimately lost at the polls, and weaken institutional independence.

“Judiciary has been compromised” — Kodua

Mr. Kodua argued that the Judiciary, traditionally the final safeguard of the rule of law, has been compromised since the former Chief Justice’s controversial removal.

He suggested that some judges now operate under fear of executive backlash when delivering rulings invoking the chilling quote often attributed to Idi Amin:
“You may have freedom of speech, but freedom after speech cannot be guaranteed.”

The NPP General Secretary also accused certain judges of assuming jurisdiction where the law provides none, resulting in what he termed politically suspect decisions, especially in parliamentary litigation.

NPP warns of democratic backsliding

Kodua cautioned that these developments represent a serious threat to Ghana’s democratic stability. He urged civil society, religious leaders, and international partners to pay close attention to what he described as creeping authoritarian tendencies within the current government.

Nearly a year into the NDC administration, he said, the country is witnessing rising incidences of abuse of incumbency and politically motivated intimidation of opponents. He pointed specifically to the government’s growing use of nolle prosequi to discontinue cases involving NDC members accused of misappropriating public funds.

The NPP insists these patterns indicate a deliberate effort to undermine accountability and reshape Ghana’s governance architecture to the ruling party’s advantage.