Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said former Chief Justice Georgina Wood is likely to replace Sophia Akuffo on the Council of State.
According to Martin Kpebu, there are former Chief Justices who could potentially be considered for the position.
Lawyer Kpebu, however, highlighted that former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo does not qualify because she was removed from office.
He disclosed that former Chief Justice Anin-Yeboah is seen as too NPP-inclined, but former Chief Justice Wood is a moderate
Speaking on TV3’s Keypoints on June 20, 2026, Martin Kpebu stated, “Anin-Yeboah is seen as too NPP-inclined. Wood is a moderate, so in political terms, you call Wood a dove and then call Anin-Yeboah”.
He further explained why Torkornoo does not qualify to replace Sophia Akuffo on the Council of State.
Lawyer Kpebu explained that Torkornoo’s removal from a constitutional office on grounds of misconduct affects eligibility for future appointments.
He added, “Torkornoo does not qualify for this position or to be an option to serve in this position. Once it’s misconduct, she doesn’t qualify. She didn’t serve the term,” he stated.
“We have the letter of the law… and from Supreme Court decisions we have the values of the Constitution, probity, accountability, and transparency.
“When a person has been found not to have discharged the accountability role well and is forcibly removed from a constitutional office like that, next time we are looking for people to serve people who occupied that constitutional office to serve on committees, etc. The one who didn’t execute the constitution properly would not be chosen, so in that scope,” he added.
Meanwhile, 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.
@ghnow_ Lawyer Serwaa Amihere at the High Court Today #GHNow #fyp ♬ Webkid (Shatta Music) – SHATTA WALE
