NDC not a principled political party over Supreme Court nominations — Afenyo-Markin

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of inconsistency and hypocrisy following President John Dramani Mahama’s nomination of three individuals to the Supreme Court.

President Mahama nominated Court of Appeal Justices Sophia Rosetta Bernasko-Essah and Edward Amoako Asante, together with private legal practitioner and former Ghana Bar Association (GBA) President Tony Forson, for appointment to the country’s apex court.

Justice Amoako Asante previously served as President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice before returning to Ghana’s Judiciary.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM on Friday, July 17, 2026, Mr Afenyo-Markin acknowledged the President’s constitutional authority to make judicial appointments but questioned the NDC’s position on the matter, given its previous criticisms of similar appointments under the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

“The President has the mandate to do that, but there’s a political question. The political question is: Is the NDC a principled political party? I submit that they are not a principled political party,” he said.

The Effutu MP argued that the NDC had criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for increasing the number of judges on the Supreme Court bench, but had now taken a different approach while in government.

“In opposition, they criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for packing the court,” he stated.

Mr Afenyo-Markin further recalled the controversy surrounding the approval of previous Supreme Court nominees, accusing the NDC of resisting the process when it was in opposition.

According to him, the party’s current actions demonstrate what he described as a change in position and a lack of consistency.

“Unfortunately, as fate would have it, time has exposed their double standards, their hypocrisy, and their unprincipled posture,” he said.

He questioned whether the NDC now considers the appointment of additional Supreme Court judges acceptable despite its earlier objections.

“Is it now okay to nominate more judges to the Supreme Court?” he asked.