The Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has called for the abolition of the Council of State, describing it as unnecessary.
Contributing to discussions on TV3’s The KeyPoints on Saturday, September 12, 2026, Mr Bentil said, “Abolish the Council of State.”
The discussion was informed by the occurrence of a vacancy on the Council created by the resignation of former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo.
Mr Bentil argued that the Council has outlived its usefulness and should be scrapped entirely as part of constitutional reforms.
“The President doesn’t need the Council of State,” he emphasised.
Background: The Vacancy and Court Action
Justice Sophia Akuffo, who served as Chief Justice from 2017 to 2020, resigned from the Council of State in *September 2025*. She was sworn in as a member of the 9th Council of State on February 18, 2025, under Article 89(2)(a)(i) of the 1992 Constitution, which provides for a former Chief Justice to serve on the Council.
Her resignation was only confirmed publicly on *June 15, 2026*, by the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, after media reports emerged.
According to the Minister, Justice Akuffo did not state any reason for her resignation. President John Dramani Mahama initially delayed accepting it at the request of the Council of State, which wanted to engage her to address any grievances. The Council later reported no bad blood and advised that the resignation be accepted.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said at the time that processes had commenced to replace her.
The prolonged vacancy has now triggered legal action. On *September 7, 2026*, a former staffer at the Jubilee House, *Samuel Bryan Buabeng*, filed a writ at the Supreme Court challenging the failure to fill the position.
Mr. Buabeng argues that President Mahama’s failure to appoint a former Chief Justice to replace Justice Akuffo amounts to a violation of Articles 89(1) and 89(2)(a)(i) of the Constitution.
He is asking the Supreme Court to order the President to consult Parliament within 14 days and to appoint a replacement within 48 hours after that consultation.
Justice Akuffo’s exit followed controversy over her role in matters concerning former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. She was the only member of the 31-member Council of State who abstained when the Council voted in April 2025 on whether a prima facie case had been established against Justice Torkornoo. She later testified in defence of Justice Torkornoo before an Article 146 committee and publicly criticised the process as a “treason trial.”
Mr. Bentil has previously called for far-reaching constitutional reforms, including abolishing the Council of State, scrapping Regional Ministers, capping ministerial appointments at 50, and creating a strict separation of powers between the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary.
