Parliament has approved the nomination of Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as Chief Justice after a headcount vote ended with 163 Members of Parliament (MPs) voting in favour and 69 against.
However, the approval process was briefly thrown into contention when Habib Iddrisu, the MP for Tolon, challenged the accuracy of the headcount and called for a division — a secret vote requiring the clearing of the lobbies and non-MPs from the chamber.
Habib Iddrisu argued that the number of MPs recorded in the headcount did not reflect those who actually stood to vote “aye.”
He further alleged that some non-MPs, including the Ashanti Regional Minister, remained seated in the chamber when they should have stepped out before the vote commenced.
“Mr Speaker, I made the application because I don’t believe it is the right number of MPs that stood up to vote ‘aye’.
“The Ashanti Regional Minister was still seated when he should have stepped out as a non-MP,” he protested.
Despite his objection, the Speaker ruled that the “ayes have it,” confirming Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s approval as Ghana’s next Chief Justice.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s nomination was earlier vetted by Parliament’s Appointments Committee, where he impressed members with his knowledge of the law and judicial philosophy.
The committee subsequently recommended him for approval, describing him as “the right person for the job.”
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