'Mr President, the pen is in your hand' - Bawumia appeals to Mahama to halt Tribunals Bill

The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has made a direct appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to suspend assent to the recently passed Tribunals Bill, insisting that legislation with such far-reaching consequences should first be subjected to extensive national consultation.

Addressing the nation on Sunday, July 19, 2026, the former vice president said the bill should not become law until key stakeholders, including the judiciary, legal professionals, organised labour, civil society organisations and political parties, have had the opportunity to deliberate on its implications.

Dr Bawumia argued that reforms affecting Ghana's justice system should be built on broad public consensus rather than a parliamentary majority.

He warned that the judiciary remains one of the country's most important democratic institutions, making it imperative for any changes to its structure to be approached with transparency, inclusiveness and careful consideration.

Making a personal appeal to the president, Bawumia urged him to delay assent and instead open the door for nationwide dialogue.

“The bill will soon be transmitted to the president for his assent and I have one respectful request of President Mahama. Mr President, do not assent to this bill. Pause and let the nation ponder and deliberate on this very important matter.

“This is not a partisan request. The Trades Union Congress and the voice of millions of Ghanaian workers have called for the bill to be withdrawn, warning that in its current form, it could become a potent tool for weaponising justice delivery.

“Those are the words of Ghanaian workers, not of any political party. Consider also the government’s own process. The president established the Constitution Review Committee, and it recommended removing regional tribunals from the constitution because the High Court has long carried their case loads.”

The NPP flagbearer further proposed that the government convene a broad consultative process involving all relevant stakeholders before making a final decision on the legislation.

“My call is simple and constructive: withhold your assent. Convene genuine national engagement. Invite the Ghana Bar Association and other lawyer groups, Organised Labour, CSOs and the political parties, including my own and we will come in good faith and consult the judiciary itself.

“Justice belongs to no government and no party; it belongs to the Ghanaian people, and a law that reshapes the architecture of justice should rest on national consensus and not a headcount.

“Mr President, the pen is in your hand; use it not to assent to this bill but to write an invitation to the nation.”

His comments add to the growing public debate surrounding the Tribunals Bill, with several organisations and legal stakeholders raising concerns over its potential impact on Ghana's justice delivery system.



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