Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has described recent developments under President John Mahama’s administration as a “systematic and calculated assault on the judiciary”.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Thursday, May 1, Mr Afenyo-Markin criticised the president’s decision to suspend the Chief Justice and subsequently nominate seven new judges to the Supreme Court.

The minority leader expressed grave concern over what he viewed as a deliberate attempt to compromise the independence of Ghana’s judicial arm.

“What we are witnessing today is a systematic and calculated assault on the judiciary,” he declared. “President Mahama’s decision to suspend the Chief Justice without transparency, followed by a sudden wave of nominations, signals a dangerous precedent for our democracy.”

Afenyo-Markin further contended that the nomination of seven judges from the Court of Appeal to the apex court forms part of a larger political scheme.

“This is not just about judicial appointments. This is an orchestrated move to pack the Supreme Court in anticipation of a third-term agenda,” he argued.

He urged Ghanaians to remain vigilant and to resist what he described as a creeping authoritarian strategy under the guise of constitutional procedure.

He concluded by calling on civil society organisations, legal professionals, and the general public to speak out in defence of judicial independence.

“This is a test of our democratic resilience. If we allow one arm of government to be captured, the balance of power collapses—and with it, our democracy,” Mr Afenyo-Markin warned.