A Ghanaian citizen, Gbande Nabin Yussif, has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to remove the acting Chief Justice, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonney, from office over what he describes as “stated misbehaviour” under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (9 October), Yussif said his petition, dated October 5, 2025, accuses the acting Chief Justice of breaching the judicial code of conduct by making remarks that could compromise the impartiality of the Supreme Court.
He cited a September 2025 interaction between Justice Baffoe-Bonney and members of the Ghana Law Society, during which the Chief Justice allegedly made statements suggesting support for one of the plaintiffs in a case before the court.
“The Chief Justice’s comments, in my view, undermined the independence of the judiciary and suggested bias towards one of the parties,” Yussif said. “This amounts to a conflict of interest and stated misbehaviour as outlined in Article 146.”
The petitioner claimed that video evidence of the interaction, which has been circulating on social media, was attached to his petition submitted to the presidency.
When asked why he opted for a removal petition rather than a lesser disciplinary action, Yussif said the president has the discretion to determine the appropriate sanction but argued that “if such conduct is allowed to pass, it undermines the constitution.”
“My petition is not politically motivated,” he added. “It’s a constitutional right I am exercising as a citizen to protect the integrity of our judicial system.”
Yussif dismissed suggestions that the timing of his petition — coming weeks after the removal of the former Chief Justice — was politically calculated, explaining that he took time to gather sufficient evidence before filing.
He confirmed that the presidency acknowledged receipt of his petition on 7 October 2025, though he denied leaking it to the media.
“As to how the petition got into the media, I don’t know,” he said. “But as a citizen, when called upon to clarify, I will do so.”
The petition, if deemed to establish a prima facie case, could lead to the formation of a committee to investigate the allegations — a process similar to that which led to the removal of the previous Chief Justice.
