The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has launched a blistering critique of the Council of State, accusing the advisory body of playing a complicit role in what he described as the politically motivated suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

Addressing a press conference ahead of a planned multi-party demonstration scheduled for Monday, 5th May, Mr Afenyo-Markin alleged that the government, with tacit support from the Council of State, had orchestrated the removal of the Chief Justice for partisan ends.

“The current attacks on the Chief Justice and the broader attempts to politicise the judiciary must be recognised for what they truly are. In this instance, our Council of State has failed our democracy,” he asserted.

He warned that the judiciary’s independence was under grave threat, citing what he claimed to be a pattern of executive interference, including strategic appointments designed to tighten political control over the courts.

“On behalf of the Minority Caucus, I state unequivocally that what we are witnessing under the John Mahama-led administration is a systematic and calculated assault on the judiciary—an institution that represents the last bastion of the rule of law, the protection of civil liberties, and the very survival of our democratic republic.”

“Today, we are confronted with acts of intimidation, political manipulation, and the open targeting of judges deemed inconvenient or non-compliant. This is not only unacceptable—it is offensive to good conscience,” he added.

The Minority has called on the public to join its 5th May protest, stressing that the demonstration transcends partisan concerns and represents a broader defence of judicial independence, the rule of law, and constitutional governance.