Dr. Bawumia Appeals to President Mahama to Withhold Assent on Passed Tribunals Bill, Demands National Consensus | Discuss Ghana

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has forcefully urged a national consensus and broad dialogue on the Tribunals Bill, 2026, appealing directly to President John Dramani Mahama to withhold his executive assent on the newly passed legislation.

Addressing the nation, Dr. Bawumia expressed deep concern over the swift manner in which the bill was pushed through Parliament despite an opposition boycott. He argued that altering the country's judicial architecture requires inclusive stakeholder engagement rather than a simple headcount of parliamentary majority numbers.

“Justice belongs to no government and no party, it belongs to the Ghanaian people,” Dr. Bawumia stated. “And a law that reshapes the architecture of justice should rest on national consensus and not a headcount. Mr. President, the pen is in your hand; use it not to assent to this bill but write an invitation to the nation.”

The Push for Dialogue and Stakeholder Inclusion

Dr. Bawumia outlined a constructive framework for national dialogue, calling on the executive branch to temporarily freeze the bill's advancement to consult wide-reaching interest groups. He proposed bringing together:

Legal and Professional Groups: The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) and independent lawyer associations.

Civil Society and Labor: Organised Labour and active civil society organizations (CSOs).

The Judiciary and Political Parties: Direct consultation with the bench itself, alongside major political parties, including the NPP.

He stressed that building public confidence in judicial updates is impossible when changes are enacted amidst high partisan tension.

Rising Tensions Over the Reintroduction of Public Tribunals

The Tribunals Bill, 2026—originally laid by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine—aims to establish modern regional and district tribunals to handle specialised criminal cases like economic crimes and tax violations, with the goal of easing severe court backlogs.

However, the bill has sparked an aggressive political row:

The Opposition's Rejection: The Minority in Parliament, alongside lawmakers like Sammi Awuku (Akuapem North), staged a boycott and labeled the reintroduction a "tragedy" for democracy. Critics argue that public tribunals carry historical trauma from the PNDC era and fear they could be used for political oppression or to undermine standard fair trial rights.

The Government's Defense: Conversely, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and proponents of the bill maintain that it contains modern, constitutional safeguards, ensuring that a qualified lawyer presides over proceedings, and noting that parliament remains open to tweaking provisions if valid flaws are raised.

Dr. Bawumia's high-stakes intervention places the ball squarely in President Mahama's court, as the country waits to see if the executive will push the legislation through or heed calls for a national dialogue.