Dr. Tony Aidoo Criticizes Supreme Court's Ruling

Dr. Tony Aidoo, the one-time Senior Presidential Aide, has expressed strong disapproval of the Supreme Court's involvement in a recent case that saw four parliamentary seats declared vacant. He referred to the Court's intervention as a "procedural error" that could have long-lasting effects on Ghana's democratic stability.

This controversy cropped up after the Supreme Court, on October 18, granted a stay of execution for Speaker Alban Bagbin's ruling that vacated the four parliamentary seats. The said ruling had been made upon an ex parte application from some MPs belonging to the New Patriotic Party, NPP. Until the final ruling is delivered, those MPs are allowed to continue with their duties owing to the stay.

Dr. Aidoo lambasted the Court for coming to such a conclusion without having previously approached Parliament or Speaker Bagbin, adding that such a move was illegal. "The Supreme Court committed a procedural error by not hearing from Parliament or the Speaker. This is an illegality," he said. Speaking in an interview with Joy News' PM Express, he called on the judiciary to ensure it does not lose its purity and become the site of political tussles.

He also questioned the inconsistency in the judicial process, more so involving the position of the Attorney General on similar cases. Dr. Aidoo cited the prosecution of James Gyakye Quayson, MP being tried for dual citizenship issues, as a glaring contradiction.

Such inconsistencies in judicial decisions, he said, tend to undermine the political system of the country. He therefore called on the Supreme Court to protect the sanctity of the Constitution and not give politically motivated judgments that derail the wheels of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.