The Electoral Commission (EC) staff, Joseph Blankson Adumadzie, has alleged that he has, for some time, been suspended from his official duties over issues involving Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs).

According to him, the old Biometric Verification Devices that were found at a refuse dump were mysteriously traced back to him. He added that he won the case in court due to the Commission’s failure to prove the allegations leveled against him.

“For a while now, I don’t go to work. I have not resigned, I have not been sacked. I am on an interdiction. It’s a whole lot. It was about these BVDs. They were saying things that were not true about me, but I don’t want to go there. Yes, the old machines, but they are not with me, and it is not even true. That is the whole thing. They sued me and couldn’t prove anything. And for one year I won the case, and I have sued them,” he added.

His disclosure comes barely seventy-two (72) hours after he formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to remove the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa, and her two deputies, Dr. Bossman Eric Asare and Samuel Tettey, over allegations of misconduct.

However, he has clarified that his call for their removal is not based on his current situation, where he is yet to resume his duties as an EC staffer. Among the 12 counts of stated misbehaviour are allegations of cronyism, abuse of office, and gross incompetence.

The petition, submitted by Joseph Blankson Adumadzie, emphasised that the credibility of Ghana’s electoral system is at stake due to the alleged illegal actions of the officials. According to a statement issued on Monday, November 24, by the petitioner, Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution provides the basis for requesting the removal of public officials, particularly those serving in independent constitutional bodies.

The former Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, faced a similar challenge and was later replaced by President Mahama after an investigative committee found the allegations leveled against her to be valid.

President Mahama earlier suspended the Chief Justice on Tuesday, April 22, after a prima facie case was established following separate petitions calling for her removal.

A series of petitions were filed against Chief Justice Torkornoo, beginning with one from a group known as Shining Stars of Ghana. The group alleged that she violated Article 144 of the Constitution by personally recommending judges for promotion to the Supreme Court and further claimed she ruled on a case involving the Speaker of Parliament without granting him a hearing, despite his refusal to respond to the suit.

Another petition, filed by a police officer who is also a lawyer, accused the Chief Justice of manipulating evidence and abusing her authority, following an incident during a Supreme Court session where he was reportedly reprimanded, arrested, and detained.

However, court records suggest the lawyer’s conduct during proceedings prompted a unanimous caution from the bench, not just the Chief Justice.

The third petition, submitted by a private individual, listed 21 alleged instances of misconduct and four claims of incompetence. Among the accusations was the misuse of public funds, specifically that she spent over GH¢261,000 and $30,000 on a family trip abroad in 2023 and misused an additional GH¢75,580 and $14,000 during another foreign assignment without proper accountability.

Subsequent reports indicate that two more petitions were added, intensifying pressure on the judiciary. Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, in her written response to President Mahama, strongly denied allegations of misconduct and abuse of office brought against her by a senior police officer, describing them as baseless and lacking grounds for her removal from office.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has sworn in Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Ghana's Chief Justice. The swearing-in ceremony took place on Monday, November 18, at the Presidency.

His swearing-in followed Parliament’s approval of his nomination after several deliberations. The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, confirmed his approval on Thursday, November 11, during the 15th Sitting of the 3rd Meeting.

“This Honorable House has accordingly approved the nomination of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice of the Republic, in accordance with Article 114 clause 1 of the 1992 Constitution respectively.

"I will want to take this opportunity to, on behalf of the House, congratulate the nominee on his approval by Parliament. I urge the nominee to take all that has happened right up from the day of the nomination up to his prior approval by Parliament into consideration in his tenure of office. Once again congratulations,” he added.

Parliament concluded his nomination after a headcount, where the Majority counted 163 and the Minority 69. On Monday, November 10, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament for his vetting.

In October, President John Dramani Mahama submitted Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s name to the Council of State for consideration in accordance with Article 144(1) of the Constitution, which requires the President to act in consultation with the Council of State and with Parliament’s approval when appointing a Chief Justice.

Justice Baffoe-Bonnie, the most senior member of the Supreme Court, was appointed to the apex court in June 2008 by then-President John Agyekum Kufuor. He studied law at the University of Ghana and was called to the Bar in 1983.

His judicial career spans roles as a Circuit Court Judge in Kumasi, a High Court Judge at Duayaw Nkwanta, and a Court of Appeal Judge before his elevation to the Supreme Court.

Born on December 26, 1956, in Goaso, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie had his secondary education at Konongo Odumase Secondary School before pursuing law at the University of Ghana and the Ghana Law School.

However, speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, November 7, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said it would be inappropriate to proceed with the vetting of Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie while the former Chief Justice awaits a court verdict on her pending lawsuit.

In October, Gertrude Torkornoo initiated legal action to prevent the vetting and appointment of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie as Ghana’s next Chief Justice. She is seeking the nullification of all activities carried out by the Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang Committee, which was set up under Article 146 to review petitions seeking her removal from office.

She wants the court to overturn all proceedings undertaken by the Committee and to declare the Presidential Warrant authorizing her dismissal as unlawful and without legal effect. The legal move came as Parliament’s Appointments Committee prepared to vet Justice Baffoe-Bonnie for the top judicial position.

Afenyo-Markin emphasized that commencing the vetting of the appointed Chief Justice would breach judicial propriety. According to him, given the ongoing disputes surrounding the revocation of the former Chief Justice from office, proceeding with the vetting process could undermine Articles 125 and 127 of the Constitution.

“Proceeding to vet a new person to fill that office will be rendering the application of justice. We are not into blows; we are here to argue law and for you to determine. This kind of attack, ‘it will happen, it will happen,’ is inappropriate. They should take it easy,” Afenyo-Markin said.

Article 125 gives judicial power only to the courts and not to Parliament or the Executive. Article 127, on the other hand, requires all other state institutions not to interfere with the Judiciary’s work but to protect its independence.