Kwesi Pratt hints at possible reasons behind Sophia Akuffo's exit from Council of State

Managing Editor of The Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has weighed in on the circumstances surrounding the resignation of former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo from the Council of State, insisting that it is unusual for someone of her stature to step down from her role without clear reasons.

Contributing to a panel discussion on UTV’s Kokrokoo, monitored by GhanaWeb on June 19, 2026, the veteran journalist maintained that her resignation was linked to public commentary surrounding the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

Gov’t reacts to Sophia Akuffo's resignation from Council of State

He explained that her public comments on the matter triggered backlash and criticisms, which may have contributed to her decision.

“She made a comment about the removal of the former Chief Justice and received backlash from the public, with some calling for her resignation. Critics argued that decisions of the Council of State are confidential, so she should not have spoken publicly on the matter. As a result, there were calls for her to step down.

" We know she didn't give a reason for her resignation and she couldnt have resigned without a reason too", he noted.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has dismissed claims that Sophia Akuffo resigned in protest over the removal of Gertrude Torkornoo.

He said there is no evidence in her resignation letter or official communication linking her exit to any disagreement with government action.

Speaking at the recent Government Accountability Series in Accra, he stated, “Attempts to link the resignation to the removal of Justice Torkornoo are entirely speculative. There is absolutely nothing in her resignation letter that suggests dissatisfaction with that decision or any protest against it.”

He further noted that Sophia Akuffo has a known history of openly expressing disagreement when she strongly opposes policy decisions and therefore would likely have spoken out if her resignation was politically motivated.

“The former Chief Justice is not someone who hides her views. When she disagreed with the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, she made her position very clear publicly. If this resignation were connected to the removal of Justice Torkornoo, we would have expected her to say so or signal it in some way,” he added.

In an interview in September 2025, Sophia Akuffo criticised the proceedings that led to Torkornoo's removal, arguing that the suspended Chief Justice did not receive a fair hearing.

She described the process as a "treason trial" stating that it had weakened the judiciary.

JKB/VPO

Inside the AI revolution that could save lives on Ghana's roads