Minority raises alarm over Constitutional breach following absence of President, Vice President, and Speaker

The Minority Caucus in Parliament has criticised the simultaneous absence of President John Dramani Mahama, Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin from the country, calling it a “serious constitutional violation” and a threat to governance.

In a statement issued on Monday, May 12, 2025, the Minority warned that the failure to swear in an Acting President, as required under Article 60 of the 1992 Constitution, had effectively left Ghana without a constitutionally mandated Head of State.

“This administration continues to treat the Constitution as an inconvenience rather than a binding framework,” the statement said.

Per Article 60, the Speaker of Parliament must be sworn in to act as President when both the President and Vice President are unavailable. President Mahama was attending the African Union Debt Conference in Togo, Vice President Opoku-Agyemang is reportedly undergoing medical treatment in the UK, and Speaker Bagbin departed the country on May 8, with no clear legal succession in place.

The Minority further raised concerns over a possible power vacuum, citing the suspension of the Chief Justice as a barrier to administering the presidential oath.

They described the situation as “alarming and unconstitutional,” and accused the government of “calculated and deliberate” disregard for the rule of law.