GBA rejects claims of NPP bias, condemns Afenyo-Markin’s attack on judge

The Ghana Bar Association has dismissed claims that it is aligned with the opposition New Patriotic Party, describing the accusation as disappointing and unfair.

The Association’s Public Relations Officer, Saviour Kudze, said attempts to brand the GBA as partisan whenever it comments on national issues undermine the legal profession and distract from more pressing national concerns.

He was speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Monday, May 18, amid controversy over the Association’s response to comments made by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin against a judge.

Government spokesperson and Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, had suggested in a Facebook post that the GBA’s perceived silence on the matter reinforced claims that the Association sympathises with the NPP.

But Mr Kudze rejected the claim.

“That doesn't come as a surprise. It's rather disappointing that every time this matter keeps coming up,” he said.

He argued that Ghana has more urgent issues to deal with, including sanitation and illegal mining, rather than constantly reducing the positions of professional bodies to partisan interests.

“It appears the many problems that Ghanaians are worried about, sanitation, galamsey, we don't want to act on those ones,” he said.

According to him, the GBA is a professional body made up of lawyers with different political views, and not a wing of any political party.

“Because it is only one group of lawyers that we have. We are all lawyers belonging to one group. If there's an issue, how do we deal with it?” he asked.

He added: “Every time, GBA is a wing of NPP. I don't know that. To me, it is not true.”

Mr Kudze said public officials who believe there are institutional weaknesses should focus on addressing them rather than turning every national conversation into a partisan dispute.

“In any case, all those or most of those people saying these things are in leadership. If they have identified a problem, understanding of leadership is providing solutions to problems. What have they done about it?” he asked.

At the same time, the GBA condemned remarks made by Mr Afenyo-Markin against a Circuit Court judge.

Mr Kudze said lawyers are free to criticise judicial decisions, but such criticism must be done through proper legal channels, including appeals, and not through personal attacks on judges.

“We will never condone such conduct. Over the years, we have consistently cautioned and condemned similar behaviour by lawyers,” he said.

He described the Minority Leader’s comments as unacceptable, especially because he is a senior lawyer and a public office holder.

“I will not mince words in saying that what the Minority Leader, a senior lawyer at the Bar, has done is condemnable at every level. A senior lawyer who also holds a public position ought to have done better,” he added.

The controversy arose after Mr Afenyo-Markin addressed a press conference on Sunday, May 17, 2026, over the continued remand of NPP Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.

The Minority Leader argued that the arrest, prosecution and remand raised serious constitutional questions, particularly in relation to bail and freedom of expression.

“What has been done to Abronye DC is a profound constitutional wrong, and must be condemned without equivocation, without delay,” he said.

He added that prosecuting a citizen for words spoken in public was not justice but persecution.

Mr Afenyo-Markin then criticised the presiding judge, saying he had no respect for him and would continue to disrespect him until he upheld the law.

The GBA says such comments risk weakening public confidence in the judiciary and threatening judicial independence.