Mahama’s EC Appointments Spark Fresh Political Tension After Former MP’s Bold Claim

Former Sissala East Member of Parliament Amidu Issahaku Chinnia has called President John Dramani Mahama’s handling of Electoral Commission appointments into question, arguing that the president’s current actions contradict positions he took while in opposition.

Speaking on GhOne TV’s GhToday morning show on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Chinnia accused Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of applying different standards to the Electoral Commission depending on whether they were in government or opposition.

The former MP, who also served as Deputy Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, said Mahama had previously criticised appointments to the electoral management body and called for constitutional changes to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny of presidential nominees.

Chinnia specifically referred to Mahama’s earlier proposal to amend Article 43 of the 1992 Constitution to require parliamentary vetting of people appointed by the president to the Electoral Commission.

According to him, the position taken by Mahama before becoming president makes the latest appointments difficult to reconcile with his earlier arguments. He maintained that the president was now repeating a practice he had previously condemned.

“If what he said was wrong yesterday, he should not come and repeat it and try to justify what happened yesterday,” Chinnia argued, questioning the consistency of the president’s position.

He went further to suggest that, if Ghana were a serious country, Mahama should resign over the apparent contradiction between his previous statements and his current decisions.

The criticism follows the appointment of Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah as Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission. President Mahama swore in the two officials on October 12, 2026.

Chinnia also challenged the NDC’s earlier objections to appointments it considered politically influenced. He argued that the party had previously questioned the suitability of individuals because of their perceived political affiliations, rather than accepting competence and qualifications as sufficient grounds for appointment.

The appointments have attracted particular scrutiny over Agbenyo’s previous role as an NDC Governance Sector Spokesperson during the 2024 election campaign. The opposition New Patriotic Party has raised concerns about political neutrality in relation to her background.

Mahama, however, has publicly urged the newly appointed officials to remain neutral and apply the same standards to all political parties, including the governing NDC.

The dispute has renewed attention on the independence of the Electoral Commission and the importance of public confidence in the body responsible for managing Ghana’s elections.

While Chinnia’s resignation demand represents his own political position, the broader debate centres on whether the appointments and the president’s earlier reform proposals can be reconciled with the principle of an impartial electoral institution.

Source: https://x.com/ghonetv/status/2110270487494287524?s=46

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