Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has severely denounced what it describes as a flagrant violation of the 1992 Constitution after the President, Vice President, and Speaker of Parliament all left the nation at the same time without an Acting President being sworn in.

The Minority said that all three of the senior officials were simultaneously abroad, which they claim violates Article 60 of the Constitution, in a news release released on Monday, May 12, 2025.

The Speaker of Parliament must be sworn in to serve as President in the event that neither the President nor the Vice President are accessible, according to the Constitution.

At the time of the statement, Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman was in the UK for medical treatment, and President John Dramani Mahama was in Togo for the African Union Debt Conference.

The Minority further pointed out that Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, who ought to have taken over, was also abroad.

The Chief Justice is supposed to take on presidential responsibilities in the event that none of the three are present, under the Constitution. Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo, however, is presently suspended.

The Minority accused the government of treating the Constitution as “an inconvenience rather than a binding framework,” describing the situation as a “deliberate and calculated” act.

The statement signed by the Minority’s legal counsel, John Darko, warned that such constitutional infractions pose a serious threat to Ghana’s democratic foundation and governance.

“We will hold the President and his Vice accountable to their oath of office, which demands fidelity to the Constitution. Where necessary, we shall invoke the relevant provisions of law to ensure that constitutional breaches do not go unpunished,” the statement ended.

KA

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