Former Vice President and the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) 2028 presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has insisted that his call for President John Dramani Mahama to withhold assent to the Tribunals Bill, 2026, should not be viewed as a political challenge to the government but as a national appeal rooted in concerns raised by organised labour and the government's own constitutional review process.

Speaking on Sunday, July 19, Dr Bawumia stressed that opposition to the Bill extends beyond political parties, arguing that prominent national institutions have expressed reservations about the proposed law and deserve to be heard before it is enacted.

"This is not a partisan request," the former Vice President said, seeking to frame the debate as one centred on the integrity of Ghana's justice system rather than party politics.

Dr Bawumia anchored his argument on the position taken by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), which has publicly called for the withdrawal of the Tribunals Bill.

According to him, the concerns raised by the country's largest labour organisation demonstrate that apprehension over the legislation is shared by a broad spectrum of Ghanaian society and is not confined to the political opposition.

"The Trades Union Congress, the voice of millions of Ghanaian workers, has called for the Bill to be withdrawn altogether, warning that in its current form it could become a potent tool for weaponising justice delivery," he stated.

He argued that the warning from organised labour should not be dismissed as politically motivated, noting that it reflects the views of ordinary Ghanaian workers whose interests the TUC represents.

"Those are the words of Ghanaian workers, not of any political party," Dr Bawumia emphasised.

The former Vice President suggested that the government's response to the Bill should therefore be informed by the concerns of independent national stakeholders rather than by parliamentary numbers or political considerations.

Beyond the concerns raised by organised labour, Dr Bawumia questioned the rationale behind Parliament's decision to pass the Bill before the publication of the Constitution Review Committee's report.

He recalled that President Mahama constituted the committee to examine Ghana's constitutional framework and recommend reforms to strengthen the country's democratic institutions.

According to Dr Bawumia, the committee completed its work and submitted its report in December last year.

He noted that among its recommendations was the proposal to remove Regional Tribunals from the 1992 Constitution, arguing that the High Court has effectively assumed the responsibilities once exercised by those tribunals.

"The Committee recommended removing Regional Tribunals from the Constitution because the High Court has long carried their caseload," he said.

Dr Bawumia expressed concern that despite the significance of the committee's findings, the report has yet to be released to the public.

In his view, Parliament's decision to legislate on the tribunal system before Ghanaians have had the opportunity to examine the committee's recommendations undermines the government's own constitutional review process.

"Yet the report has not been published. Before the nation has even read it, Parliament has rushed through and legislated in the opposite direction," he observed.

The former Vice President urged President Mahama to publish the Constitution Review Committee's report before taking any decision on the Tribunals Bill.

"Mr President, publish the report first," he appealed.