Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour-Awuah, has defended the Minority’s walkout during the vetting of Chief Justice nominee Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, describing it as a peaceful and strategic decision.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker explained that the decision was made spontaneously, taking into account precedents from past Appointments Committee sessions in the Ninth Parliament.

“There was no prior meeting. It was the events that took place at that moment, taking into account historical events at such appointment committees since we went to Parliament in this Ninth Parliament,” he said. “We then decided whether it would be in the interest of the Minority, in the interest of the nation—not just this country, but outside of it, people would say our Parliament is being chaotic. We just wanted to avoid it. And so we took the peaceful position, the peaceful approach.”

Nana Baffour-Awuah added that the Minority was mindful of how Ghanaians, who are largely peace-loving, would perceive the session, concluding that a walkout was preferable to participating in a debate that could escalate tensions.

The Minority staged the walkout to protest ongoing legal challenges surrounding Justice Baffoe-Bonnie’s nomination by President John Mahama.

The Majority, however, continued with the vetting, asserting that Parliament has a constitutional mandate to proceed in the absence of any court injunction.