The Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has urged suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo to abandon what he describes as a campaign for public sympathy and instead report any alleged threats made against her to the appropriate authorities.
In a television interview with Joy News on Wednesday, [June 25], Mr Aseiedu Nketiah said the Chief Justice must lead by example by resorting to lawful processes if she feels endangered or wronged.
“If she has been threatened, the right thing to do is to report to the police and present her evidence,” Mr Asiedu Nketiah said. “She is the number one judge in the country. If she won’t follow the law, what example does that set?”
His comment followed a press conference by Justice Torkornoo earlier in the day, during which she said there was no option for a resignation from her post as was being suggested, despite facing what she described as psychological pressure, public hostility, and threats to her life.
The Chief Justice, currently on suspension, is the subject of Article 146 removal proceedings, triggered by three petitions.
Justice Torkornoo has insisted that her resignation would amount to legitimising an unjust process, stating: “If I resign under these circumstances, I would be endorsing this flawed, opaque, and unlawful process.” She cited a 2019 Supreme Court ruling (Suit No. J6/02/2019) which prohibits public officials from walking away from state-initiated removal proceedings.
However, Mr Asiedu Nketiah expressed disapproval of her approach, arguing that resorting to public press conferences undermines the integrity of the legal process.
“She is shouting at press conferences, making claims, but the law she presided over still exists,” he said. “We haven’t changed the laws, the judges are the same, and the judicial processes remain intact. So what has changed?”
He also suggested that Justice Torkornoo was dramatising the situation to court public sympathy. “You don’t handle threats by shouting at press conferences. You go to the police, give your evidence, and let the authorities investigate. She is a lawyer and should know better,” he added.
Mr Nketiah denied claims that the NDC was influencing the judiciary for political purposes. He insisted that the ongoing scrutiny of the Chief Justice was being carried out using the same constitutional provisions she once upheld.
“She is now claiming the judiciary is flawed, but it is the same judiciary she headed,” he said. “If she now sees it as unjust, then that only justifies our call to reset the system to eliminate political manipulation.”
He clarified that the NDC’s proposal to “reset” key state institutions was not a call for executive interference, but rather a commitment to use constitutionally sanctioned mechanisms for reform and accountability.
“We’re not saying the executive should reset the judiciary,” he said. “The Constitution provides mechanisms for accountability, and we’re using those very mechanisms. The judiciary must correct itself.”
Drawing parallels to other African democracies, Mr Nketia warned that Ghana risked following the path of countries where public confidence in state institutions has sharply declined. “Across Africa, judicial and electoral bodies have lost credibility. Ghana must act now before we reach that point,” he cautioned.
Responding to Justice Torkornoo’s concerns about the hearing venue being at Christianborg Castle—a location she described as potentially intimidating—Mr Nketia dismissed the claim as emotional theatre. “That’s just symbolism. The building itself can’t intimidate you. She’s dramatising the situation to win public sympathy,” he said.
He concluded by reiterating that no public official, including the Chief Justice, is above the law. “If you believe you’ve been threatened, report it. Don’t just make claims. Present the evidence. Let the police and the courts do their job.”
