'Aligning CJ with a party will hurt her' – Mustapha Gbande cautions NPP over protest tactics

Deputy NDC General Secretary Mustapha Gbande has criticized the NPP. He says they are politicizing Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo's suspension. This could cause her lasting damage.

Gbande spoke on PM Express with Evans Mensah on Joy News. He warned that the NPP’s actions drag the Chief Justice into partisan politics. He called this move dangerous and unfair to her.

“You are exposing the Chief Justice politically,” he said. “This aligns her with a specific group, which is not fair.”

He added that if people make criminal allegations against her, it will shame the NPP.

His comments follow days of national debate and protests over the President’s suspension of Torkornoo. The NPP has denounced this action as politically motivated.

The situation has divided public opinion sharply. It has escalated into a political showdown over judicial independence and accountability.

The Director of Operations at the Presidency commented on an NPP protest in Accra. He noted that it revealed inconsistencies in their stance on constitutional processes.

He advised the NPP to “hasten slowly” to avoid damaging institutions they claim to defend.

Mustapha Gbande also questioned the NPP’s outrage over comments from NDC figures like Sammy Gyamfi and Edudzi Tamakloe. He pointed out that a pro-NPP broadcaster first made sensitive judicial responses public.

“Why is Egyapa Mercer accusing Sammy Gyamfi when Paul Adom-Otchere shared the Chief Justice's response?” he asked. “Why avoid that conversation?”

Gbande insisted that President Mahama's actions regarding Torkornoo's suspension are constitutional. He argued that by protesting, the NPP is forcing a political narrative onto a legal issue.

“We in the NDC will not join that fray,” he stated.

He warned that they are inviting President Mahama to undermine Ghana's Constitution, which allows protests.

Gbande dismissed claims from some in the NPP about pre-empting future constitutional interpretations for a third term for Mahama.

“It’s not just about Torkornoo being treated unfairly; they fear Mahama seeking a third term,” he said.

When host Evans Mensah asked if Mahama was considering a third term, Gbande responded sharply.

“Evans, why invite us into this distracting conversation? Is it up to the NPP to determine constitutional interpretation?”

He stressed that Ghana’s democracy should not be hijacked by fear-mongering or paranoia from any party.

“If the NPP believes in constitutionalism, let processes unfold,” he urged. “They are recklessly aligning a sitting Chief Justice with their party.”