NDC has always been critical of Ghana Bar Association  – Maxwell Akunyire

Maxwell Akunyire, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Team for the Chiana-Paga Constituency, has criticized Attorney General Dominic Ayine over his recent remarks against the Ghana Bar Association (GBA).

The Attorney General, speaking at the 2025 Bar Conference in Wa, accused the GBA of being selective in its commentary on national issues. Dr. Ayine argued that the Association openly commented on the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo but remained silent during the removal of the Chairpersons of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Electoral Commission (EC) in 2015 and 2017.

However, in an interview on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Wednesday, September 17, Akunyire dismissed the Attorney General’s concerns, stressing that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has historically been critical of the GBA.

“The NDC has been consistent in blaming the Ghana Bar Association and I am wondering why. Is it that the NDC lawyers are not competent to contest and win elections so that they can come and correct the wrongs they think the GBA is committing? Since 1992, the NDC has always had issues with the GBA.” He said.

Akunyire further argued that the GBA’s advocacy for clearly established statutes in the process of removing a Chief Justice was justified and should not be misconstrued as bias.

“When the petition was received by the President and forwarded to the Council of State, even at that point there were contentions as to whether the petition should be served on the Chief Justice or not. Until the CJ herself wrote to the President, she wasn’t served. If we had clear rules, wouldn’t that have helped?” He quizzed.

The NPP communicator maintained that rather than attacking the Association, the Attorney General and the NDC should support calls for legal clarity in order to strengthen Ghana’s democratic institutions.

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