Retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba has taken aim at the New Patriotic Party (NPP), accusing it of hypocrisy in its criticism of the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
According to Justice Atuguba, the NPP lacks the moral authority to challenge the move, given its own track record on judicial independence while in office.
His remarks come in the wake of a protest held on Monday, May 5, in Accra by the NPP and affiliated political groups. The demonstrators called for the immediate reversal of Chief Justice Torkornoo’s suspension, alleging that President John Mahama’s decision was politically driven and unconstitutional—posing a threat to judicial impartiality.
Speaking in an interview, Justice Atuguba dismissed the NPP’s stance as disingenuous. “What did they do differently when they were in power?” he asked.
“Were they transparent? Did they uphold public interest?” He went on to condemn what he sees as a broader neglect of the public good in Ghana’s political space.
Justice Atuguba also referenced the past criticism of the judiciary under the NPP’s administration, pointing to the term “Unanimous FC” that gained popularity on social media to describe the Supreme Court’s frequent one-sided rulings. “Was that President Mahama’s doing?” he asked rhetorically, highlighting what he views as selective outrage by the NPP.
