Chief Justice Clears EC Chair, Deputies, and Special Prosecutor of Removal Petitions
The chapter on a series of high-profile removal petitions has come to a close, following a determination by Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie that no prima facie case exists to warrant further investigations against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, her deputies, or the Special Prosecutor. According to a statement released by the Presidency on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama had referred seven petitions for the removal of Electoral Commission Chair Jean Mensa and her deputies, along with three separate petitions targeting Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, to the Chief Justice. The referrals, made on November 25, 2025, were in line with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution and Section 15 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959), which requires the Chief Justice to determine if the petitions disclose a case worth investigating. By a letter dated January 26, 2026, the Chief Justice informed President Mahama that none of the petitions established sufficient grounds for removal proceedings against the officeholders. The announcement, signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications, effectively brings an end to current attempts to unseat the Electoral Commissioner, her deputies, and the Special Prosecutor. With this decision, the affected officials remain in office, as the legal threshold for further action has not been met. Source: Apexnewsgh.com
Martin Kpebu Urges Publication of Petitions Against EC Chair, Special Prosecutor
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu is calling for full transparency in the ongoing debate over high-profile removal petitions against top public officials. On Wednesday, February 18, Kpebu urged authorities to publish the petitions seeking the removal of Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng, Electoral Commission Chairperson Jean Mensa, and her deputies, arguing that public access is essential for fair and objective discussion. Kpebu’s call follows a recent statement from the Presidency, which revealed that Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie had ruled that the petitions failed to establish a prima facie case and would not proceed further. The petitions, seven in all, had been referred to the Chief Justice by President John Dramani Mahama in November 2025, in accordance with Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution and Section 15 of Act 959. Despite this ruling, Kpebu, whose own petition against the Special Prosecutor remains undecided, maintained that Ghanaians deserve to see the actual content of the petitions. “After that, let’s publish the petitions, so the public can comment too. Otherwise, it will just be based on people’s beliefs and biases. Without seeing the petitions, you cannot comment,” he told journalists. A statement issued on February 18, 2026, by the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, confirmed the Chief Justice’s response, dated January 26, 2026, which stated that none of the petitions warranted further action. Kpebu insists that making the documents public would move national debate beyond speculation, allowing citizens to engage with the facts and contribute meaningfully to the discourse. Source: Apexnewsgh.com