Removing CJ and EC chairperson will be disastrous – Prof. Stephen Adei warns Mahama

Renowned economist and former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has strongly cautioned President-elect John Mahama against dismissing the Chief Justice (CJ) and Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) from their positions.

Prof. Adei highlighted that such a move, particularly if driven by political motives, would be detrimental to Ghana’s democracy and set a dangerous precedent for future administrations.

His remarks follow reports suggesting that the incoming government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by Mahama, may remove the CJ, Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkonoo, and the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, from their respective roles. These speculations were further fuelled by comments from the President-elect’s aide, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, who called for Mensa’s resignation over her alleged poor performance.

However, speaking in an interview with TV3, Professor Stephen Adei stressed that the only valid grounds for their removal would be evidence of corruption.

He underscored the importance of strengthening confidence in Ghana’s institutions, stating:

First of all, it will be disastrous, especially initially in his term. He will be consolidating a very bad practice which will not augur well for Ghana's future, whereby every president basically appoints a new electoral commissioner.

But as for the Supreme Court Chief Justice, I think from my personal point of view, if they touch the Chief Justice by political removal and not because she has done something that requires impeachment and goes through an impeachment process, I, and you, will pay a heavy price for it—not because of her, but because of the undermining of the system.

Prof. Adei further argued that Ghana’s electoral processes have advanced to a point where the EC Chairperson would be unable to tamper with election results.

He also urged the incoming Mahama government to appoint five more justices to the Supreme Court to help address the workload of cases currently before the apex court.

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