Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, has announced that President John Mahama has accepted Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo’s resignation from the Council of State.
According to Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Sophia Akuffo has officially ceased to be a member of the Council of State.
Addressing journalists on Monday, June 15, Felix Kwakye Ofosu confirmed that the resignation process had been concluded and that steps were underway to appoint a replacement.
He revealed that Sophia Akuffo did not provide reasons for her decision to resign.
Felix Kwakye Ofosu, addressing the media, stated, “I can confirm that indeed, Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo has resigned from her position as a member of the Council of State. She submitted a letter in September 2025 to the President indicating her desire to resign. She did not disclose the reason for wanting to resign”.
“When the President received the letter, he was required then to indicate his acceptance of her resignation. But at the behest of the Council of State, he had to hold on because they said they wanted to engage Justice Sophia Akuffo to see if there was some grievance that she had that was informing the resignation and whether or not there was a way that it could be addressed,” he explained.
“But they went back and said that they had engaged and, as far as they were concerned, the resignation could be accepted. So, the President has formally accepted her resignation, and she is no longer a member of the Council of State,” he added.
He further disclosed, “The law is clear on what processes to undertake to replace her, and that is going on as we speak. So, in due course, a replacement will be announced for Justice Sophia Akuffo,” he said.
The development comes after the former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo resigned from her role as a member of Ghana’s Council of State.
According to reports, Sophia Akuffo stopped attending Council meetings following the decision relating to the removal process involving former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Reports suggest she later submitted her resignation towards the end of 2025.
Although the circumstances surrounding her resignation remain unclear, it has been linked to the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
It will be recalled in April 2025, when the Council of State voted on whether a prima facie case had been established against then Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo; 30 out of 31 members voted in favour; only Sophia Akuffo abstained, although she did not publicly explain her decision at the time.
Meanwhile, her reported resignation has not yet been officially confirmed by the Council of State or the Office of the President.
Justice Akuffo served as Chief Justice of Ghana from 2017 to 2020.
In other news, following the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo by President John Mahama, Sophia Akuffo comforted and encouraged her.
Sophia Akuffo urged Gertrude Torkornoo to take heart, as God may have bigger, better, and greater things planned for her.
In an interview with TV3 on September 2, Sophia Akuffo stated, “She should take heart. That God sees, and sometimes when you go through certain things which you think have brought you to the end or to your knees or something like that, that could be far from the truth”.
“There could be bigger, better and greater needs that the Lord has in store. That is what I will tell her, and that is what I will send to her as a text message.”
“When you are a believer, things happen today- yes, they have happened- so look to God and move on, and you will allow God to manage the rest”, she added.
Sophia Akuffo further condemned the proceedings that led to President John Dramani Mahama removing the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo.
According to Sophia Akuffo, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkonoo was not given a fair hearing.
Sophia Akuffo described the proceedings as a “rigmarole” that set a dangerous precedent for Ghana’s judiciary.
The former Chief Justice added, “She did not get a fair trial. Even though it is not a trial strictly speaking, it was handled as though it were a treason trial”.
“They lack the gravity that will lead to a grave outcome such as the removal of the head of an institution of justice”.
The former Chief Justice’s remarks echo the same feelings Chief Justice Torkonoo herself had earlier labelled as cruel and unconstitutional.
The High Court has dismissed the motion for leave filed by lawyer Appiah Kubi in the Chairman Wontumi Samreboi case.#GHNow pic.twitter.com/pSqscK4ltI
— GHnow (@ghnow_) June 15, 2026
