DON’T SIGN! Bawumia Tells Mahama, Tribunal bill resurrects PNDC-era ghosts

Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has called on President John Dramani Mahama to refuse assent to the Tribunals Bill, 2026, which was passed by Parliament in a hurry last week.

“Mr. President, do not sign this Bill. Pause, and let the nation talk. This is not a partisan request. The Trades Union Congress, the voice of millions of Ghanaian workers, has called for the Bill to be withdrawn altogether, warning that in its current form, it could become a potent tool for weaponising justice delivery. Those are the words of Ghanaian workers, not of any political party,” Dr. Bawumia, flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), noted in a national address on Sunday.

He warned that the government’s insistence on pushing through the legislation without adequate consultation represents a dangerous departure from the spirit of the 1992 Constitution.

Dr. Bawumia’s address came exactly three days after Parliament passed the bill amidst chaotic scenes. In a move that has infuriated legal practitioners and civil society groups, the mandatory one-day interval between the consideration stage and the third reading was waived, enabling the Majority to bulldoze the legislation through in a single sitting. The Minority’s objections were contemptuously voted down, and organised labour’s vocal opposition was completely ignored, Dr. Bawumia noted.

Dr. Bawumia exposed what he termed the government’s “own contradictory process” in handling the matter:

“The President established the Constitution Review Committee, and it reported last December. This Committee recommended removing Regional Tribunals from the Constitution, because the High Court has long carried their caseload. Yet the report has not been published. Before the nation has even read it, Parliament has rushed through and legislated in the opposite direction. Mr. President, publish the report first,” Dr. Bawumia urged.

The revelation has left political analysts scrambling to understand why the government would commission a report and then legislate in direct opposition to its findings without even making it public.

Dark History Revisited

Dr. Bawumia recounted Ghana’s painful historical experience with tribunals, reminding Ghanaians of “what was done in their name” during previous military regimes. Under the current bill, panels that include persons who are not lawyers may sit in judgment over criminal matters—a prospect that has sent chills down the spines of human rights advocates.

Constructive Alternative

The NPP flagbearer, however, did not simply criticise; he offered a constructive alternative:

“Mr. President, your government commands one of the largest majorities in the history of the Fourth Republic. With such numbers, Parliament can pass almost any bill it wishes. Not everything that can be passed should be passed. The larger the majority, the greater the duty of restraint. History will not ask how many votes a law received. It will ask whether the law reflected the best desires of a broad section of Ghanaian society.

“My call is therefore simple and constructive. Withhold your assent. Convene genuine national engagement. Invite the Ghana Bar Association and other lawyers’ groups, organised labour, civil society, and the political parties, including my own; we will come in good faith. And consult the Judiciary itself—the institution that must live with whatever Parliament creates.”

Reflections on Power

Dr. Bawumia delivered a profound reflection on the nature of political power, subtly reminding President Mahama that his commanding majority carries with it a weighty moral responsibility.

“With such numbers, Parliament can pass almost any bill it wishes. Not everything that can be passed should be passed,” Dr. Bawumia intoned. “The larger the majority, the greater the duty of restraint. History will not ask how many votes a law received. It will ask whether the law reflected the best desires of a broad section of Ghanaian society.”

The statement is being interpreted by many as a carefully calibrated challenge that positions Dr. Bawumia not merely as an opposition politician but as a guardian of democratic principles—a role that could resonate powerfully with the electorate as the 2028 election cycle gathers steam.

Call for Genuine Engagement

Dr. Bawumia specifically called for the invitation of the Ghana Bar Association, other lawyers’ groups, organised labour, civil society, and “the political parties, including my own; we will come in good faith.” Crucially, he also demanded that the government consult “the Judiciary itself, the institution that must live with whatever Parliament creates.”

“Justice belongs to no government and no party. It belongs to the Ghanaian people, and a law that reshapes the architecture of justice should rest on national consensus, not on a headcount,” Dr. Bawumia noted.

The NPP flagbearer concluded his address by invoking Articles 90 and 106 of the 1992 Constitution, requesting that the President, through the Council of State, convene a national engagement on the matter. His final words echoed the timeless patriotic refrain: “May God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong.”

Wider Condemnation and Historical Echoes

Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament had already raised alarm during the debate, with some MPs declaring that “the people of Ghana must be wary” of a system where individuals could be “pronounced guilty even before their cases are properly determined.”

The ghost of the PNDC-era public tribunals where were widely condemned for their lack of due process and their use as instruments of political persecution looms large over the current debate.

The coming days will reveal whether President Mahama will heed the NPP flagbearer’s call or proceed to sign a bill that has united the opposition, organised labour, civil society, and large sections of the legal profession in condemnation. For now, the nation watches and waits.