Supreme Court Dismisses Injunction Against President Mahama on Security Heads’ Removal
The Supreme Court of Ghana has ruled against an injunction seeking to prevent President John Dramani Mahama from removing immediate past Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare and other security agency heads from office.
A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Paul Baffoe Bonney delivered the ruling on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The court held that the mere filing of an interlocutory injunction does not bar the President from performing his public and administrative duties.
The injunction application was filed by policy think tank Imani Ghana and security expert Professor Kwesi Aning. The applicants sought to restrain the President from replacing heads of key security institutions until a pending constitutional case was resolved.
The substantive case which was filed in 2024 calls for the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the President’s authority to remove heads of security agencies. The plaintiffs argue that these officeholders can only be dismissed for proven misconduct or misbehavior and that their removal without such justification would be unconstitutional.
The affected offices include:
• Inspector General of Police (IGP)
• Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service
• Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service
• Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service
According to the applicants, allowing the removal of these officials before the court delivers a final ruling would result in unfair treatment and set a bad precedent.
However, in dismissing the injunction the Supreme Court emphasized that the President’s powers under the Constitution remain intact unless declared otherwise by a final ruling. The court stated that preventing the President from exercising his administrative authority would disrupt governance.
The Supreme Court has set May 7, 2025, as the date to deliver judgment on the substantive constitutional case regarding the President’s powers to dismiss security agency heads.
This decision means that President Mahama is legally permitted to proceed with any planned changes in leadership within Ghana’s security services, pending the final judgment. However, if the Supreme Court later rules in favor of the applicants it could potentially impact any decisions made in the interim.
The case continues to generate national debate on the extent of presidential powers and the security of tenure for heads of key state institutions.
As Ghanaians await the May 7, 2025, ruling on this important constitutional matter the outcome is expected to clarify the legal boundaries of presidential authority over security agencies. This ruling could have long-term implications for governance, institutional independence and the stability of Ghana’s security services.