Afenyo-Markin's 'disputed Chief Justice nominee' comment triggers pushback at vetting

The Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has described Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as a “disputed Chief Justice nominee” during his introductory remarks at the vetting by the Appointments Committee on Monday, November 10, 2025.

“We gather to vet the disputed nominee for the office of Chief Justice. This is a case of whether Ghana’s judiciary will remain independent,” he stated.

However, the Majority Leader, Mahama Ayariga, immediately objected to the description, insisting that there was no dispute regarding the nominee.

'Rule violations will not be allowed in CJ nominee's vetting' - Mahama Ayariga to Minority

“I am objecting to the term ‘disputed’ because there is no dispute regarding the nominee before us,” Ayariga indicated.

Following the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, the most senior of the nine remaining Supreme Court justices, has been serving as Acting Chief Justice.

Born on December 26, 1956, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie has over three decades of experience in the judiciary.

He has served as a Circuit Court Judge, High Court Judge, Court of Appeal Justice, and Supreme Court Justice. Prior to joining the bench in 1992, he held senior legal positions at the Ghana Prisons Service and the Internal Revenue Service.

Baffoe-Bonnie Vetting: 'You don't have the right to tell me what to do' – Ahiafor tells Habib

🇬🇭 ‘You have no right to look him in the face and refer to him as a disputed nominee, and expect me to sit here and not respond,’ Mahama Ayariga says, raising concern after Afenyo Markin referred to Chief Justice nominee Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as a disputed nominee during his… pic.twitter.com/XmpdLUSkHd

— CDR AFRICA (@cdrafrica) November 10, 2025