'We walked out on principle' - Minority defends exit from CJ vetting

The Minority in Parliament on Monday, November 10, 2025, walked out of the Appointments Committee sitting convened to vet Chief Justice nominee, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, insisting that the decision was a matter of principle.

Speaking with the media following the move, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, Member of Parliament for Asante Akim Central and a member of the committee, said the Minority could not participate in what they believe is a flawed process, given that legal challenges related to the nomination are still pending.

“There are matters before the ECOWAS Court and others before various courts. Until those processes are concluded, it is not right for us to vet another Chief Justice,” he stated.

Kwaku Azar slams Minority’s boycott of Chief Justice’s vetting

Anyimadu-Antwi stressed that the protest was not directed at the nominee himself but at what the caucus considers procedural unfairness.

“Nobody has anything against Justice Baffoe-Bonnie personally. But on principle, we could not continue. If we are going to vote against the process anyway, we don’t see the need to sit in when the Majority has already decided the outcome,” he said.

He accused the Majority of failing to allow for an equitable process and added that the walkout should not be misconstrued as a boycott.

“The Minority will always have a say, and the Majority will have their way, but that is not what we are seeing. We opted out to register our protest. It is not a boycott; we oppose the nomination on principle,” he explained.

Responding to claims that the action was premeditated, Anyimadu-Antwi denied the assertion, saying the caucus had gone to the vetting prepared to fully participate.

“If it were premeditated, we wouldn’t have shown up. We had questions prepared and were ready to do our work,” he indicated.

He emphasised that the Minority views the vetting as a national responsibility and had hoped to contribute meaningfully.

“The Chief Justice serves the entire nation; NPP, NDC, Majority, Minority. We all want the best for the country. But if the process isn’t fair, we cannot be part of it,” he concluded.

MRA/MA

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