Attempts to use judiciary to prevent Mahama from contesting 2024 will lead to chaos - Security analyst

A security policy expert, Anthony Acquaye, has said that if care is not taken in the judiciary’s determination of a case brought before it against John Dramani Mahama, it could throw the country into chaos.

According to him, the case before the Supreme Court, brought by Kenneth Kuranchie, to challenge the constitutional right of the former president to seek a re-election is something that must be handled cautiously.

In a statement made available to GhanaWeb, Anthony Acquaye stated that this case is an example of indicators that could easily throw a country into disarray.

“It is important to stress that the early warning signs or indicators to throw a country into chaos is not far from us as a country.

“For this reason, I vehemently deem it important to use this medium to send a word of caution to all the security architectures in this country, including the judiciary, that it is eminent on their side to embrace the spirit of patriotism and put the peace and the stability of our dear country, Ghana, first in their forward decisions, and that any attempt to use the judiciary or legal approach to restrain or stop the former president John Dramani Mahama from contesting the 2024 general election will throw the country into chaos,” he said.

The security policy expert added that while the role of the judiciary in the determination of such matters cannot be downplayed, it must be guided by recent disaffections it has received from the NDC.

He cited the most recent judgement by the Supreme Court that made the 2020 election of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament null and void.

“Let me emphasize that the judiciary plays a crucial role in ensuring national security and its recent perception by the citizens as a biased institution is a clear warning sign that citizens may be forced to take the law into their own hands if it happens that the former president is restrained from contesting the 2024 general election by the Supreme Court.

“What is more dangerous in relation to this development is that in recent months, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), in particular, has accused the judiciary of being biased because the party has lost a string of cases before the courts, including the most recent verdict on Hon James Gyakye Quayson, Member of Parliament for Assin North in the Central Region, who the NDC believe the government has manipulated the Supreme Court to order for his name to be removed from parliament,” he added.

Anthony Acquaye also stressed that he is greatly worried that there seems to be a trend where politicians think they can have their way to power using the judiciary.

Read his full statement below:

For immediate release

14th June, 2023

ANY ATTEMPT TO USE THE JUDICIARY TO PREVENT THE FORMER PRESIDENT, JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA FROM CONTESTING THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION WILL THROW THE COUNTRY INTO CHAOS ~ Security Analyst Warned.

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It is important to stress that, the early warning signs or indicators to throw a country into chaos is not far from us as a country. For this reason I vehemently deem it important to use this medium to send a word of caution to all the security architectures in this country including the judiciary that, it is eminent on their side to embrace the spirit of patriotism and put the peace and the stability of our dear country Ghana first in their forward decisions and that any attempt to use the judiciary or legal approach to restrain or stop the former president John Dramani Mahama from contesting the 2024 general election will throw the country into chaos.

Let me emphasize that, the judiciary plays a crucial role in ensuring national security

and its recent perception by the citizens as biased institution is a clear warning sign that, citizens may be forced to take the law into their own hands if it happens that the former president is restrain from contesting the 2024 general election by the supreme court.

What is more dangerous in relation to this development is that, in recent months, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in particular has accused the judiciary of being biased because the party has lost a string of cases before the courts including the most recent verdict on Hon James Gyakye Quayson, member of parliament for Assin North in the Central region who, the NDC believe the government has manipulated the supreme court to order for his name to be removed from parliament.

Although judiciary role is paramount in helping to safeguard the security of the country, injustice delivery can throw the country into chaos. The ultimate responsibility to safeguard the peace of this country lies squarely at the feet of members of Ghana's judiciary system who are entrusted by the law with the power to ensure effective justice delivery.

In fact, as a student of peace, I was taught of a number of approaches that can be use to ensure peace and among those approaches is the legal approach. It is also important to stress on the fact that, this same legal approach to peace can cause conflict or war if justice is denied.

I must say vehemently that, am really worried about this development in our body politics where politicians think they can have their way to power using the judiciary, most especially under a regime of governmednt beìng characterised by the realism sort of behaviour.

Witnessing the recent unanimous decision trend by the supreme court gives me a strong impression that anything can happen without the court considering the security implications of it's decision.

I say with my strong analytical spectacle that Ghana must learn from the current state of Senegal.

Sign

Anthony Acquaye ( Masters in Security, KAIPTC)

Security Policy Expert

0556783703

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