Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia Challenges President Mahama to Refer Controversial Tribunals Bill to the Council of State | Discuss Ghana

Escalating his opposition to the newly passed Tribunals Bill, 2026, the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has issued an impassioned, direct appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to halt the enactment of the law.

Rather than utilizing the executive pen to sign the piece of legislation into effect, Dr. Bawumia proposed a constitutional alternative: referring the bill immediately to the Council of State to initiate a structured national dialogue.

The high-stakes request targets a controversial judicial reform bill that was pushed through Parliament by the ruling majority despite an aggressive walkout and boycott by opposition lawmakers.

“The bill will soon be transmitted to the President for his assent, and I have one respectful request of President Mahama," Dr. Bawumia stated during a national address. "Mr. President, do not assent to this bill. Pause and let the nation ponder and deliberate on this very important matter... The pen is in your hand; use it not to assent to this bill but write an invitation to the nation through the Council of State.”

A Non-Partisan Appeal Backed by Labor

Dr. Bawumia rejected assertions that his opposition to the bill is merely partisan maneuverability ahead of the upcoming elections. He emphasized that the call to reject the judicial overhaul is backed by a broad coalition of everyday citizens, including the country's most powerful labor union:

The TUC Warning: The Trades Union Congress (TUC), representing millions of Ghanaian workers, has fiercely demanded the bill's absolute withdrawal.

Weaponization of Justice: Labor leaders have publicly warned that in its current structural state, the resurrected tribunal framework lacks necessary independent safeguards and could easily be turned into a "potent tool for weaponising justice delivery."

Why the Tribunals Bill is Sparking Fierce Resistance

The political showdown centers on a government push to establish regional and district specialized tribunals to handle high-level economic crimes, corruption, and tax evasions outside the traditional court framework.

While the Mahama administration defends the policy as a vital measure to clear choking backlogs within the judiciary, Dr. Bawumia counter-argued that altering the fundamental architecture of Ghanaian justice requires broad stakeholder consensus. He reminded the executive that the government's own H. Kwasi Prempeh Constitutional Review Committee had previously explicitly recommended the complete abolition of the regional tribunal system due to past historical abuses and structural overreach.

By urging President Mahama to involve the Council of State, Dr. Bawumia is daring the executive branch to hit the brakes and allow independent constitutional elders to reassess the controversial policy before it becomes the law of the land.