Parliament Speaker Apologizes After Heated Clash Disrupts Chief Justice Nominee Vetting
Parliament Speaker Alban Bagbin has issued a formal apology to Ghana’s judiciary following chaotic scenes during the vetting of Chief Justice nominee Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie on Monday, November 10.
The session turned tense when Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin described the nominee as “disputed” and criticized the process leading to his nomination. This prompted an immediate objection from Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga, who argued that Afenyo-Markin had no authority under parliamentary rules to raise court-related issues.
“You have no right pursuant to our rules to raise those issues,” Ayariga interjected. “If you raise them, I’m going to object.”
What followed was a nearly two-hour standoff involving Afenyo-Markin and Bernard Ahiafor, chairman of the Appointments Committee. After a break, the Minority announced its rejection of the nominee and staged a walkout. The vetting was attended by top judicial figures, including all Supreme Court justices.
Bagbin described the exchanges as lacking decorum and directed the Appointments Committee to uphold civility in future proceedings. He emphasized respect among Ghana’s branches of government.
“The judiciary is independent of control or direction from any person or authority,” Bagbin said. “The doctrine of separation of powers requires that the executive, legislature, and judiciary relate to one another with mutual respect and restraint.”
In a separate development, Ayariga accused Afenyo-Markin of breaching parliamentary privilege by attending an ECOWAS Parliament meeting in Port Harcourt, despite a House resolution removing him from Ghana’s delegation. Ayariga urged the Speaker to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee for sanctions.
Bagbin said he would review the complaint and issue a ruling on Wednesday, November 13.
