President John Mahama has accepted the resignation of former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo as a member of the Council of State, bringing closure to months of consultations over her decision to step down.
The announcement was made on Monday, June 15, by the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who confirmed that the resignation process had been completed and procedures had begun to appoint a replacement in line with the Constitution.
Addressing journalists, Mr Kwakye Ofosu revealed that Justice Akuffo first submitted her resignation letter in September 2025.
“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,” he stated.
He explained that although the President was expected to accept the resignation upon receipt, the process was briefly delayed after members of the Council of State intervened for further engagement with her.
“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.
According to him, those engagements ultimately did not change her decision.
“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.
Justice Akuffo, who served as Chief Justice from 2017 until her retirement in 2020, was later appointed to the Council of State as one of the President’s eminent advisors, mandated to support governance and national decision-making under the 1992 Constitution.
Her exit creates a vacancy on the advisory body, which plays a key role in guiding the President on constitutional and governance matters.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu noted that the process to replace her had already begun.
“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.
Government officials say the transition will be completed in accordance with constitutional requirements in the coming weeks, as the Council of State continues its advisory role in national governance.
