Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gaming Commission, Lamtiig Apanga, has cautioned against premature conclusions regarding the petition seeking the removal of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, and her two deputies.
According to him, the petition should not be prejudged, noting that Ghana’s democratic framework provides clear procedures for addressing alleged misconduct by public officials.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, November 25, he emphasised that submitting a petition does not automatically imply her removal, and that constitutional procedures must be respected without succumbing to political or public pressure.
“There are rules and regulations that govern these processes. Where there is stated misbehaviour, incompetence or irregularities, citizens have the right to bring petitions if they believe they have a reasonable basis. But it is premature to think the petition will succeed or fail because the President is yet to make any comment, and the processes are yet to be triggered,” he said. “
He emphasised that the petition marks only the first step, and the constitutional mechanisms designed to assess such allegations must be allowed to run their full course.
“This is just the first layer of activating a system. We must wait and see if indeed Jean Mensa did a good job and whether the petition has merit. We should see this as strengthening our democratic institutions and reinforcing structures that allow ordinary citizens to raise concerns that can be examined,” he noted.
His comments follow a formal petition submitted by Joseph Blankson Adumadzie, an Electoral Commission staff member, calling for the removal of the EC Chairperson and deputies Dr Bossman Eric Asare and Samuel Tettey.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 24, Mr Adumadzie confirmed that the petition was filed under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, which outlines procedures for removing heads of independent constitutional bodies. Although the details remain confidential as required by law, he disclosed that the petition is based on 12 allegations of stated misbehaviour, including claims of abuse of office and gross incompetence.