Joyce Bawa Mogtari, a special aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, has strongly criticized President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his remarks during the 2023 Ghana Bar Association Conference. She believes that the criticism President Akufo-Addo directed at John Mahama regarding a comment he made about the judiciary is baseless. In her view, the President is, in fact, perpetuating corruption and attempting to improve his image through his statements at the Bar Conference.
Mogtari expressed her perspective on Twitter, stating, “An outrightly useless pronouncement from a President who has completely debased the presidency, promoted corruption, politicised the judiciary with pro-NPP appointments, and yet thinks making uncouth political statements at a Bar Conference will wash him up.”
Her response was prompted by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s comments at the Bar Conference, which included an appeal to what he described as “right-thinking Ghanaians” to ensure John Dramani Mahama’s defeat in the 2024 elections.
An outrightly useless pronouncement from a President who has completely debased the presidency, promoted corruption, politicised the judiciary with pro- NPP appointments and yet thinks making uncouth political statements at a Bar Conference will wash him up.
— Joyce Bawah Mogtari (@joyce_bawah) September 11, 2023
During his address at the 2023 Ghana Bar Association Conference in Cape Coast, President Akufo-Addo expressed concern over John Mahama’s recent comments regarding the judiciary, deeming them a threat to the country’s democracy.
He specifically criticized the practice of labeling judges as “NPP” (New Patriotic Party) or “NDC” (National Democratic Congress), considering it a direct assault on the independence of Ghana’s judiciary. President Akufo-Addo regarded these concepts as not only novel but also highly perilous, representing a significant challenge to the judiciary’s autonomy. He emphasized that such actions provide additional grounds for citizens to ensure the defeat of the individual identified as “Government Official No.1” by the first Special Prosecutor in the unresolved Airbus Bribery Scandal during the 2024 elections.
Former President Mahama had accused President Nana Akufo-Addo of appointing judges affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the courts. He made these allegations during a meeting with NDC lawyers, asserting that the President had deliberately populated the bench with judges who would align with his interests once he leaves office. Mahama urged NDC members to strive for a more balanced representation within the judiciary.
