The Minority in Parliament has boycotted the vetting of Chief Justice nominee Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie by the Appointments Committee.
Led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the group, during proceedings of the Appointments Committee on Monday, November 10, 2025, outright rejected the nomination, arguing that it lacks legitimacy amid ongoing legal challenges over the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo.
“We are registering that we reject the nomination, and the record should reflect that the report of the vetting be a Majority report,” Afenyo-Markin declared during the proceedings.
Earlier, the vetting of Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie kicked off amid a fierce verbal disagreement between the leadership of the Majority and Minority Caucuses of the House.
At the commencement of proceedings, Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin sought to raise concerns about the circumstances surrounding the nomination of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, describing him as a disputed nominee.
In a sharp response, the Majority Leader objected to the description, tagging it as out of place.
The Majority Leader emphasized that the Minority’s objection to Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s nomination had already been resolved by a ruling issued by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, on Friday, November 7, 2025.
He therefore called on the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Bernard Ahiafor, to demand a withdrawal and apology from the Minority Leader.
The Chairman subsequently charged members of the committee to desist from describing the nominee as “disputed.”
The disagreement between the two sides continued into the afternoon, when the Chairman announced a short break in proceedings.
The Minority’s boycott of the process came after the committee resumed the vetting.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie was named Acting Chief Justice and subsequently nominated as substantive Chief Justice by President John Dramani Mahama.
His nomination followed the removal of Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo by President Mahama on grounds of stated misbehavior.
Ahead of the vetting, the Minority on Friday moved a motion on the floor of Parliament to demand a halt to the vetting, citing ongoing legal challenges to the removal of Justice Torkornoo and her replacement.
Meanwhile, the vetting is proceeding with the Minority expected to approve the nominee with their superior numbers.