Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in the ongoing parliamentary impasse over the vetting of Supreme Court nominees, warning that the Majority’s approach could undermine the President’s legacy.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Afenyo-Markin urged President Mahama to engage members of the Majority Caucus and discourage what he described as an attempt to “stampede” Parliament’s Appointments Committee into vetting the three Supreme Court nominees within an accelerated timetable.
He questioned the urgency behind the Majority’s push, asking: “What is the real emergency here?”
According to the Minority Leader, Parliament’s committees have a constitutional responsibility to conduct thorough investigations and inquiries before nominees are approved for public office.
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He appealed to the Majority to reconsider its position and work with the Minority on what he described as a “fair and sensible timetable” for the vetting process.
“It is not too late to step back. Work with us on the two ministerial nominees on a fair and sensible timetable, but abandon this plot to force through three Supreme Court vetting before tomorrow closes,” he said.
The Minority leader directly appealed to President Mahama, reminding him that his administration initiated the nominations and that the conduct of his parliamentary caucus could ultimately affect his legacy.
“You brought the nominations, the Speaker has read them out and referred them to the committee. What did you do? You didn’t ask the Majority to rush them through and stampede the process,” he argued.
He said President Mahama, having previously served as a Member of Parliament and on parliamentary committees, should understand the importance of allowing committees to perform their duties without undue pressure.
“Mr. President, you have been a member of Parliament before. You have served on committees in Parliament. This is what your members are doing here,” Afenyo-Markin said.
He accused the Majority of seeking to use its numerical strength to pressure the committee into completing the vetting process within a timeframe that, in his view, does not allow for adequate scrutiny.
The Minority Leader cited Article 103(3) of the 1992 Constitution, arguing that parliamentary committees have responsibilities relating to investigation and inquiry into the activities and performance of nominees.
He maintained that the vetting of nominees to the Supreme Court should therefore be thorough and should not be reduced to a rushed parliamentary exercise.
“This must be thorough and it requires a thorough job,” he stressed.
The Minority, he said, is not opposed to the nominees themselves or to President Mahama’s constitutional decision to nominate individuals for appointment to the Supreme Court.
However, he indicated that the Minority disagrees with the decision on grounds relating to principles previously espoused by the President.
‘Everything they do stands for or against your legacy’
Afenyo-Markin urged President Mahama to engage his parliamentary caucus and ensure that political considerations do not override parliamentary procedure.
According to him, the constitutional framework is deliberately designed to give Parliament the opportunity to independently scrutinise nominations and exercise its institutional judgment.
He stressed that adherence to those constitutional safeguards would enable both sides of the House to work together in the interest of democracy.
“If this plot goes ahead regardless, we will not treat it as an end of the matter,” Afenyo-Markin warned.