By Daniel Bampoe
Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, has declared that a future New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would dismantle the regional tribunals system being introduced by the Mahama administration, insisting that thr existing judicial structure should be strengthened rather than replaced with what he considers unnecessary parallel institutions.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr. Afenyo-Markin argued that the NPP fundamentally disagrees with the government’s approach to judicial reforms, maintaining that the country’s priority should be investment in the regular courts through improved infrastructure, better training for judges and the appointment of judicial officers with unquestionable integrity.
According to him, creating regional tribunals does not address the real challenges confronting the justice delivery system.
“The NPP’s position is very clear. We don’t need these regional tribunals. What we need is to strengthen our court system, invest in retooling, train our judges and ensure people of integrity administer justice without fear or favour,” he stated.
The Minority Leader further stressed that any judicial arrangement that disrupts the existing court structure would not survive under a future NPP administration.
He explained that although any reversal would require both executive authority and parliamentary support, the NPP remains committed to restoring what it considers the proper judicial architecture if it returns to power.
His comments come just days after Parliament passed the Tribunals Bill, 2026, despite fierce opposition from the Minority Caucus, which staged a dramatic walkout before the legislation was approved.
The Minority has consistently argued that the proposed tribunals could undermine constitutional safeguards relating to due process, judicial independence and the right to a fair trial.
Government, however, has defended the legislation, insisting that the tribunals are intended to speed up justice delivery by reducing delays and clearing the growing backlog of cases before the courts. The Bill is currently awaiting presidential assent before becoming law.
Afenyo-Markin Accuses NDC Of Political Hypocrisy Over Supreme Court Appointments
Beyond the tribunals debate, the Minority Leader also accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of abandoning principles it championed while in opposition regarding appointments to the Supreme Court.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin noted that although the Constitution empowers the President to nominate judges to the apex court, the NDC cannot ignore its own previous criticisms of similar appointments under the Akufo-Addo administration.
According to him, the issue is not the competence or qualifications of the three nominees recently announced by President John Dramani Mahama—Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and private legal practitioner Tony Forson—but rather what he described as the NDC’s inconsistency.
He recalled that in 2024, the NDC strongly opposed the nomination of additional Supreme Court judges by then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, accusing the government of attempting to “pack” the court.
At the time, the party’s General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, publicly urged the suspension of further appointments, arguing that excessive judicial nominations could compromise the independence of the judiciary.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin questioned why the same party is now expanding the Supreme Court after assuming office.
“Is the NDC a principled political party? I submit that they are not. In opposition they criticised the Akufo-Addo administration for packing the court. Today they have the opportunity and they are doing even worse. So where is the principle?” he questioned.
He maintained that political parties must remain faithful to the principles they advocate while in opposition, arguing that governments should not adopt contradictory positions simply because they have assumed power.
The Minority Leader said Ghanaians should judge political parties not merely by their campaign promises but by the consistency of their actions in government, insisting that credibility in governance depends on adherence to principle rather than political convenience.
