#SaveTheJudiciaryDemo: 5 major highlights that 'stole' the show

A conjugation of governmental parties, led by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), staged a monolithic objection against the ruling authorities successful effect to the suspension of Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Sackey Torkornoo.

The protest, dubbed the #SaveTheJudiciaryDemo, drew the information of galore acrophobic Ghanaian citizens and enactment supporters, who were led by their respective leaders and executives to dependable their demands and taxable a petition to the authorities for further action.

As is often the lawsuit during demonstrations, definite incidents tin overshadow the main intent of the event, drafting nationalist attraction and dominating discourse, and the #SaveTheJudiciaryDemo was nary exception.

Several large incidents that unfolded during the protestation person since dominated nationalist discourses. This GhanaWeb nonfiction highlights 5 important moments that captured nationalist attention.

Afenyo-Markin-police incident

One of the large incidents that person been dominating conversations is the alleged battle by the Effutu lawmaker, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, of a constabulary officer.

The incidental allegedly showed the lawmaker visibly aggravated astatine a constabulary serviceman and raising his manus to onslaught the serviceman connected the head, portion lasting down a barricade.

However, the lawmaker, successful his defense, clarified that his actions were a effect to provocation, claiming that the constabulary serviceman struck him arsenic helium attempted to articulation his colleagues astatine Parliament House.

The Effutu MP further explained the carnal interaction of the officer's strike, stating; "The interaction dazed me, and I was visibly shaken and abbreviated of breath. In that moment, I spontaneously protested his conduct, asking wherefore helium would question to harm me.

"The inspector facilitating my access, on with different officers, rapidly intervened and assisted maine into the restricted area, wherever I had to thin against the partition astatine the entranceway of Parliament House to forestall myself from collapsing."

The MP besides added that; "A National Service Personnel subordinate from Parliament, whom I know, approached and offered maine water. Two CID officers from Parliament besides checked connected maine and assisted maine to a adjacent information remainder room, wherever I laid down connected a seat to stabilise,” helium narrated successful a statement.

Subsequently, a constabulary invitation has been extended to the lawmaker to assistance investigations into the matter.

Journalist collapsing

Another notable and unfortunate incidental that occurred during the protestation was the illness of a journalist, who reportedly mislaid consciousness.

The concern sparked wide concerns, arsenic videos circulating online showed information unit swiftly intervening to transportation him distant for contiguous aesculapian attention.

Stan Dogbe’s remarks

The protestation concluded astatine the Jubilee House, wherever demonstrators formally presented their petition to the president.

The petition was received connected his behalf by the Deputy Chief of Staff successful complaint of Operations, Stanislav Xoese Dogbe.

While receiving the petition, Dogbe emphasised that President Mahama does not subscribe to the civilization of retaliatory authorities often witnessed nether erstwhile administrations.

Making his constituent clear, Stan Dogbe criticised the erstwhile medication for engaging successful acts of retaliatory politics, highlighting specified practices arsenic detrimental to antiauthoritarian governance.

“Let maine accidental that we are blessed that your process started this greeting and has ended precise peacefully. That successful itself is simply a precise beardown connection astir the ideology that President Mahama wants to instill successful our beloved country.

“If it were the lawsuit similar this implicit the past 8 years, I'm definite that the retaliatory authorities that you speech astir wouldn't person been the case. You referencing retaliatory authorities is an admittance that the 8 years of president Akufo-Addo and Bawumia were not the best. You tin beryllium assured however, that President Mahama arsenic each Ghanaian knows, is not that politician. President Mahama does not judge successful retaliatory politics,” helium said.

He, however, assured the demonstrators that specified practices volition not beryllium tolerated nether the existent administration, emphasising that President Mahama's authorities is committed to respecting the views of its critics and governmental opponents, and upholding the principles of inclusive and antiauthoritarian governance.

“We volition enactment unneurotic with you and each the governmental parties and your petition volition beryllium giving the owed response,” helium added.

His remarks person sparked conversations connected societal media, with immoderate netizens praising Dogbe for what they described arsenic a well-delivered and thoughtful response.

Many excessively judge his comments could punctual the protesters to bespeak connected their ain party’s governance record.

‘Sins’ of Mahama

The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, went successful hard astatine President John Dramani Mahama during the #SavetheJudiciaryDemo connected Monday, May 5, 2025.

Reading from the petition, which helium described arsenic ‘respectful and decent’, Afenyo-Markin heavy criticised astir each enactment of the Mahama government, utilizing precise beardown words against the president and his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Afenyo-Markin claimed that the antiauthoritarian principles of the state are nether attack, saying that “there is simply a frightening and ominous unreality present looming implicit our republic arsenic we march today.”

He said that the 1992 Constitution of Ghana was nether threat, with institutions mandated to safeguard the country’s liberties being infiltrated by “a ruthless cabal who are determined to cling to powerfulness astatine each outgo — a 3rd word agenda.”

He listed the expected wrongdoings of the Mahama authorities arsenic follows:

1. Establishing an unconstitutional ORAL

2. Using mercenaries to forestall declaration of Ablekuma North parliamentary predetermination results

3. Weaponising the information services

4. An autocrat arbitrarily dismissing elder subject officers

5. Mahama relentlessly attacking the judiciary

Supreme Court costumes

While astir protests typically specify formal codes, 1 standout infinitesimal during the #SaveTheJudiciaryDemo was the quality of immoderate protesters successful makeshift costumes resembling the Chief Justice oregon Justices of the Supreme Court.

These outfits were symbolic, representing the caller 7 judges nominated to the apex tribunal by Mahama, portion sending a connection to the government.

These highlights look to person overshadowed the objection itself, dominating the airwaves and nationalist discourses, and shifting the absorption distant from the archetypal interaction of the protest.

MAG/AE

Meanwhile, ticker wherefore #SaveTheJudiciaryDemo is trending connected GhanaWeb TV below