Former NPP General Secretary John Boadu has described the conduct of newly vetted Chief Justice nominee Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as “dangerous,” warning that rulings influenced by personal feelings could erode confidence in the judicial system.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on November 11, Mr. Boadu said comments made by Justice Baffoe-Bonnie during his vetting raised serious concerns about his judicial temperament.
“Look at what happened during the Chief Justice’s vetting,” he said. “A CJ who can say that he sentenced a convict to 70 years instead of 30 because he felt the convict was young and might come after him if he got out—that is very dangerous for our justice delivery system. It’s dangerous for our democracy.”
He stressed that judicial decisions must never be influenced by emotion or personal fears.
“If a Chief Justice makes rulings based on personal feelings or perceived benefits, how can we trust that future cases won’t be decided the same way? This is extremely troubling,” he said.
Mr. Boadu, who is seeking to become chairman of the opposition party, added that the President or Parliament should have reconsidered Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s nomination.
“This is something I would have expected the President to withdraw, or Parliament to reject outright,” he said.
Addressing the Minority’s walkout during the vetting, Mr. Boadu defended their decision, describing it as an effort to avoid legitimising an “illegality.”
“They walked out because they didn’t want to legitimise illegality,” he argued. “They shouldn’t have vetted him at all. If a nominee’s views could undermine justice delivery, must the process continue?”
He maintained that the Minority’s stance was reasonable, given the pending court case that could affect the nomination.
“The opposition believed the vetting was unnecessary since a case before the court could influence the appointment,” he explained. “An acting Chief Justice could have continued until the matter was resolved that’s our position.”
Mr. Boadu further criticised the Majority in Parliament, saying their conduct left little room for meaningful opposition engagement.
“What else could the Minority have done? Even if they stayed to raise issues, the attitude of the Majority meant nothing would change,” he said.
Reflecting on the NPP’s poor performance in the 2024 elections, he linked the party’s reduced parliamentary strength to its weakened oversight role.
“We performed poorly in 2024,” he admitted. “We secured less than 32% of parliamentary seats. If we had the numbers, some decisions would not have passed so easily.”
He cited the swift passage of the petroleum levy as an example.
“They imposed a levy on petroleum products within 24 hours. There was no proper scrutiny or debate because our numbers were too small to oppose it,” Mr. Boadu lamented.
