Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu says President John Dramani Mahama has accepted Madam Sophia Akuffo's resignation and directed that the constitutional replacement process be activated.

“President Mahama has accepted the resignation of Sophia Akuffo from the Council of State,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu said at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, June 16.

Justice Akuffo, who previously served as Chief Justice from 2017 to 2020, has recently been absent from Council of State meetings, including the most recent sitting held days ago.

Her resignation marks her exit from Ghana’s highest presidential advisory body, which is mandated to counsel the President on key national governance and policy matters. The government has not provided details on the circumstances surrounding her decision, and Justice Akuffo has also not publicly commented on her resignation.

Her tenure on the Council of State was noted for moments of independence, particularly during deliberations linked to judicial processes involving suspended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.

In April 2025, during a Council vote on whether a prima facie case had been established against Justice Torkornoo, 30 members supported the determination while Akuffo abstained.

She later testified before an Article 146 committee at the request of the suspended Chief Justice and publicly raised concerns about fairness in the process.

Her remarks sparked national debate over judicial independence and due process, drawing both support and criticism from legal and political observers.

With her departure confirmed, attention has shifted to who will be nominated to replace her on the Council of State as government moves to complete the transition