Minority Leader in Parliament Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused President John Dramani Mahama of rendering the Council of State ineffective under his administration.

Speaking during the New Patriotic Party (NPP)-led demonstration against the suspension of the Chief Justice on Monday, 5 May, Afenyo-Markin criticized the President for sidelining constitutional bodies meant to guide and check executive power.

Addressing protestors after they submitted a petition to Parliament, the Minority Leader lamented what he described as the “emasculation” of the Council of State.

“Under President Mahama, the Council of State has become toothless—stripped of its constitutional relevance and unable to exercise its advisory mandate independently,” he said.

Afenyo-Markin argued that the deliberate weakening of such institutions threatens the country’s democratic stability and erodes the checks and balances essential to good governance.

He called on Ghanaians to be vigilant and defend democratic institutions that ensure accountability at the highest levels of power.

The demonstration, led by the NPP and supported by civil society groups, was in protest of what participants described as politically motivated interference in the judiciary.

The petition presented to Parliament demanded the reinstatement of the Chief Justice and a reaffirmation of constitutional norms by the executive.