Ghana Bar Association Rejects Claims of NPP Alignment by Ofosu Kwakye
The GBA insists it remains a neutral professional body after government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu suggested it is sympathetic to the opposition NPP amid controversy over comments on the judiciary.
- GBA says it is politically neutral and represents lawyers across all parties.
- PRO Saviour Kudze described claims of NPP alignment as “disappointing.”
- Association also condemned comments made by Afenyo-Markin about a judge and court proceedings.
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has firmly dismissed claims by Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu that it is politically aligned with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), insisting it remains an independent professional body.
The allegation emerged amid renewed public debate over the GBA’s response to comments made by Minority Leader and Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin concerning members of the judiciary. Critics from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) questioned why the association had not publicly condemned the remarks.
GBA Public Relations Officer Saviour Kudze described the accusation as “disappointing” and urged political actors to stop dragging the association into partisan narratives whenever it comments on national issues.
He argued that Ghana’s broader challenges—such as sanitation and illegal mining—should take priority over repeated political accusations directed at professional bodies like the GBA.
“It appears the many problems that Ghanaians are worried about — sanitation, galamsey — we don’t want to act on those ones. Anytime GBA speaks at certain times, he speaks for certain people, and he doesn’t speak for certain people,” Kudze said.
Mr Kudze further stressed that reducing the Ghana Bar Association to a partisan institution undermines both the legal profession and public confidence in the rule of law. He insisted the association represents lawyers across all political divides.
“How long can we continue to do this? It’s becoming a ritual,” he said, adding that leaders should focus on solving problems rather than politicising institutional commentary.
He also rejected suggestions that the GBA serves any political interest, stating that it remains a unified body of legal practitioners and should not be labelled as a “wing” of any party.
On judicial matters, Kudze emphasised that lawyers must use proper legal channels such as appeals when challenging court decisions, rather than making public statements that could be seen as disrespectful to the bench.
In the same interview, the GBA also condemned remarks made by Mr Afenyo-Markin about a judge handling a case involving NPP Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe (Abronye DC), describing them as inappropriate and harmful to judicial independence.
Kudze said the association would not tolerate conduct by lawyers that undermines the integrity of the judiciary, adding that senior legal practitioners are expected to uphold higher standards.
“We will never condone such conduct,” he said, noting that the GBA has consistently cautioned against similar behaviour in the past.
Mr Afenyo-Markin had earlier criticised aspects of the legal process in the case, arguing that the remand of Kwame Baffoe raised constitutional concerns. He also made strongly worded remarks against the presiding judge during a press briefing, accusing the court of failing to properly apply the law.
