‘We Will Hold Them Accountable’: Minority Reacts to the Absence of President, VP, and Speaker

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has vehemently condemned what it describes as a blatant violation of the 1992 Constitution following the simultaneous absence of the President, Vice President, and Speaker of Parliament from the country, with no Acting President sworn in.

In a statement issued on May 12, 2025, the Minority revealed that all three top officials were out of the country at the same time, a situation they argue breaches Article 60 of the Constitution, which mandates that when both the President and Vice President are unavailable, the Speaker of Parliament must step in as Acting President.

At the time of the statement, President John Dramani Mahama was in Togo attending the African Union Debt Conference, while Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman was in the United Kingdom receiving medical treatment.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, who should have assumed the role of Acting President, was also abroad.

The Constitution stipulates that in such cases, the Chief Justice is expected to step in. However, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo is currently under suspension.

The Minority has accused the government of treating the Constitution as “an inconvenience rather than a binding framework,” calling the situation a “deliberate and calculated” act.

They warned that such constitutional violations undermine Ghana’s democratic principles and governance.

The statement, signed by the Minority’s legal counsel John Darko, emphasized that the President and Vice President will be held accountable for their actions and for adhering to their oath of office.

The Minority also signaled their intention to pursue legal action if necessary to ensure that constitutional breaches are addressed.