Mahama scores own goal with EC appointment

…..As NPP deliberately forgets Akufo-Addo’s 2023 political storm

The appointment of Emelia Afi Agbenyo as a Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) has reignited the debate over political neutrality, with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) questioning her suitability for the position and the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) defending her qualifications and integrity.

The controversy has also revived memories of the fierce political and civil society opposition to former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s appointment of three new members to the EC in March 2023, particularly Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, whose links to the NPP triggered demands for their resignation.

The apparent similarity between the two situations has raised questions about what critics describe as partisan double standards, with the NDC, which strongly criticized the appointments under the previous administration, now defending President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to appoint a former NDC manifesto spokesperson to the Commission.

Ms Agbenyo’s appointment, alongside that of Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, was announced following the resignation of Dr Bossman Asare, the former Deputy Chairperson responsible for Corporate Affairs, effective July 31, 2026, and the retirement of Samuel Tettey, the former Deputy Chairperson responsible for Operations.

President Mahama swore the two appointees into office on Monday, October 12, 2026, and charged them to discharge their responsibilities fairly, transparently and without favouring any political party.

However, the appointment of Ms Agbenyo has become a flashpoint in the political debate over the independence of Ghana’s electoral management body, particularly as the country approaches the 2028 general election.

The NPP has questioned the appointment, pointing to Ms Agbenyo’s involvement in the NDC’s 2024 election campaign and her previous criticism of the Akufo-Addo administration.

Before the 2024 general election, she served on the NDC’s governance team as a sectoral spokesperson for its Resetting Ghana manifesto, working alongside prominent party figures, including Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Sylvester Mensah, CEO of the Eximbank.

Social media posts attributed to her have also resurfaced, including one in which she declared her intention to vote against the Akufo-Addo government over what she described as its disregard for the suffering of Ghanaians.

“I will be voting against a government that ridiculed the pains of the people. Imposing a nuisance levy on citizens is not a thing to celebrate. Governance is no joke; citizens are not your enemies,” she wrote.

The posts have fuelled concerns among some members of the public about whether her previous political involvement could undermine perceptions of her impartiality in office.

Some social media users have questioned her suitability for the position and expressed concerns about the possible implications for the 2028 elections. However, her past political activities do not, in themselves, establish that she would manipulate an election or favour any political party in the discharge of her official duties.

The NPP’s Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has been among the strongest critics of the appointment.

Speaking on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News, Mr Aboagye described the decision as shameful, accusing the Mahama administration of selecting a political operative from the NDC’s ranks for a position that demands independence and impartiality.

“It’s a shame. We have a government and a party that doesn’t even see how embarrassing it is to simply go into the party’s database and pick one of their political party operatives and appoint her as a Deputy Electoral Commissioner. It is a complete shame,” he said.

He argued that Ghana had made significant progress in building its democratic institutions and should not allow independent bodies to be compromised by partisan political considerations.

Mr Aboagye also accused the government of undermining the independence of state institutions, drawing a comparison with what he described as the removal of the Chief Justice.

But the NDC has rejected the criticism, insisting that Ms Agbenyo possesses the professional competence and experience required to serve on the Commission.

The party’s Deputy Director of Elections and Information Technology, Rashid Tanko Computer, has strongly defended her appointment, arguing that she is qualified not only to serve as a Deputy Chairperson but also to lead the EC.

“She is even supposed to be the Commissioner but not a Deputy because she is very much qualified,” he said in an interview on TV3’s Daily Brief on Monday, October 12, 2026.

Presidential staffer Beatrice Annan also dismissed suggestions that Ms Agbenyo’s participation in NDC campaign activities automatically makes her partisan or incapable of performing her official duties fairly.

Speaking on Citi FM, Ms Annan said the new Deputy Chairperson was not a card-bearing member of the NDC and had never been one.

“She is not a card-bearing member of the National Democratic Congress and has never been a card-bearing member of the National Democratic Congress. She has not done anything to demonstrate any potential bias or imminent bias,” she said.

She also defended the appointment process, stating that the Presidency had complied with the relevant constitutional requirements and that the nominees had been submitted to the Council of State more than a month before their swearing-in to allow for consultations.

Ms Annan further highlighted Ms Agbenyo’s professional background in gender advocacy, noting that her work in the field predated the NPP’s assumption of office in 2016.

According to her, Ms Agbenyo had worked as a technical adviser and gender analyst with GIZ Ghana.

The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, also defended the appointment as constitutionally appropriate, while acknowledging that critics are entitled to question the decision.

Speaking on Joy FM, yesterday, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the Tamale South MP said he knew Ms Agbenyo professionally from her time as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, where she was responsible for operations under his ministry.

Mr Iddrisu said the controversy should prompt a broader discussion about the need for legislation establishing clear eligibility criteria for appointments to the EC.

Referring to Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution, which provides for the establishment of the Commission and its two Deputy Chairpersons, he argued that further legislation should define the qualifications required of prospective members.

“Beyond Article 45 provides that there shall be an Electoral Commission which shall have two deputies. We must have legislation which then defines the threshold as to who can enter into the Electoral Commission,” he said.

He stressed that the country needed commissioners who were independent, courageous and committed to transparency.

“I just want an Electoral Commission that does not endanger democratic ethos and values. Persons who are independent, persons who are courageous, and persons who uphold the values of transparency,” he added.

Mr Iddrisu maintained that the appointment was politically and constitutionally appropriate, but urged political actors to apply the principle of fairness when assessing appointments.

“I think that the appointment is politically and constitutionally appropriate, but politically, people have the right to remind us that if you seek equity, do equity,” he said.

He also distinguished between political activities undertaken before an appointment and conduct that would be unacceptable once an individual assumed office, arguing that Ms Agbenyo’s performance as Deputy Chairperson would be the relevant test of her impartiality.

The controversy has assumed added significance because President Mahama, then an opposition leader, strongly criticized Akufo-Addo’s appointment of Dr Appiahene, Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani and Reverend Akua Ofori Boateng to the EC in March 2023.

The three were sworn into office on Monday, March 20, 2023, in accordance with Article 43(1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution.

Their appointments triggered a political storm, particularly over allegations of partisan connections involving Dr Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani.

President Mahama condemned the appointments, describing his predecessor’s conduct as disappointing and calling on well-meaning Ghanaians to denounce it.

He also pledged to amend Article 43(2) of the Constitution, if elected President in the 2024 general election, to require parliamentary approval for new EC commissioners.

“Of course, the appointments of known party activists onto the Electoral Commission by our current President may require an amendment of Article 43(2), to provide for parliamentary approval of new Commissioners to the Commission.

“Let me assure you once again, I remain committed to these reforms,” he said.

The resurfacing of those comments has placed the NDC under scrutiny, with critics questioning whether the party is applying the same standards to appointments made by its own government.

The central issue is whether political participation that raises concerns about the perceived neutrality of an EC appointee under one administration should be treated differently when a similar controversy arises under another.

The controversy surrounding Akufo-Addo’s appointments was particularly intense over the backgrounds of Dr Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani.

Dr Appiahene was an Assistant Professor and Senior Lecturer at the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani, where he headed the Department of Computer Science and Informatics.

He holds a PhD in Computer Science and an MPhil in Information Technology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

However, social media posts circulated after his appointment showed him participating in NPP activities in the Bono Region.

In one post published in January 2021, he was featured on an NPP-labelled flyer as one of six prospective candidates for the position of Bono Regional Minister.

The post called on party members to rally behind him, describing him as a potential leader who could help advance the region’s development.

In another video circulated online, Dr Appiahene was seen participating in a radio programme, Anopa Nimdee Adwasuo, on Nimdee FM 95.1 in Sunyani, where he reportedly identified himself as an NPP partisan and activist and referred to Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, as his chairman.

This triggered widespread condemnation from sections of the public and the opposition NDC, which questioned whether someone perceived as a committed partisan could command confidence across the political divide while serving on the EC.

Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, a banker with the Agricultural Development Bank, also came under scrutiny over family connections to prominent NPP figures.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrated Development Studies from the University for Development Studies, an MBA in Project Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and was reported to be pursuing an MSc in Finance at the Accra Business School.

Reports at the time linked her marital status to Sheikh T.B. Damba, a former Second National Vice-Chairman of the NPP who served as Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2017 to 2021.

Her mother, Hajia Samata Gifty Bukari, was reported to have served as the NPP’s first elected female First Vice-Chairperson in the Northern Region, while her sister, Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah, was identified as a former NPP parliamentary aspirant for Yendi and the Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Loans Centre (MASLOC).

Those relationships prompted concerns about the appearance of potential conflicts of interest and the perceived independence of the Commission.

Reverend Akua Buabema Ofori-Boateng, the third appointee, was Director of Programmes for the Anglican Diocese of Accra and a priest serving at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. She had also hosted the gospel talk show #995TheWord on Asaase Radio, associated with NPP-linked Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a cousin to the then President, Akufo-Addo.

Her academic background included degrees in Engineering Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration and Ministry.

Although the three appointments were announced together, the most intense public criticism centred on the allegations of political activism and family connections involving Dr Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani.

The controversy prompted a joint press briefing by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), STAR Ghana Foundation and Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) at the Ghana International Press Centre in Accra on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.

The civil society organizations, including the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI), and the STAR-Ghana Foundation, argued that appointing individuals widely perceived as partisan could deepen public mistrust in the Commission.

“The appointment to the EC of individuals known or widely perceived to be partisan or party-biased can only go to deepen public mistrust in the EC,” the groups said.

They added that the resignations of Dr Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani were necessary to help rebuild trust and confidence in the EC and safeguard the credibility of Ghana’s elections.

The appointments also attracted criticism from within the NDC, with Alexander Segbefia, then Director of the party’s International Relations Directorate, describing the appointment of Dr Appiahene as dangerous for Ghana’s democracy.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, Mr Segbefia argued that the EC’s role as an electoral referee made it particularly important for its members to avoid displaying overt partisan affiliations.

He warned that Dr Appiahene’s alleged political history could colour public perceptions of his decisions and statements throughout his tenure.

Mr Segbefia said the appointment of someone perceived as overtly partisan to a position requiring neutrality would mean that the individual’s decisions could be scrutinized far more intensely than those of other commissioners.

His remarks underscored the argument that public confidence in the EC depends not only on the formal legality of appointments but also on whether commissioners are perceived to be impartial.

The NDC, which opposed the 2023 appointments, is now defending the appointment of Ms Agbenyo, raising questions about the consistency of its position on political neutrality.

A political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Asah Asante, has cautioned that people appointed to the EC must demonstrate political neutrality and conduct themselves in a manner that inspires confidence across the political divide.

Speaking on TV3’s News 360 on Monday, he said the Commission needed individuals whose impartiality could not reasonably be called into question.

“The people we need are people above board and not people that are partisan. If it is the case that [Emelia Afi Agbenyo] is an NDC sympathiser or faithful, then we have a problem on our hands,” he said.

His comments reflect the broader concern that, beyond meeting formal appointment requirements, EC commissioners must demonstrate independence in both their decisions and public conduct.

President Mahama, meanwhile, at the swearing-in ceremony attended by NDC National Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah and General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, charged Ms. Agbenyo and Dr. Asamoah to serve the national interest rather than the interests of the government or party that appointed them.

“As President, I expect no preferential treatment from the Electoral Commission for myself, my party or my government,” he said.

He urged the two appointees to ensure that every eligible citizen could participate in the electoral process and that every valid vote was counted and reflected the will of the people.

The President also stressed the importance of transparency, clear explanations for the Commission’s decisions and prompt responses to concerns raised by stakeholders.

He said public confidence could not simply be demanded but had to be earned through the Commission’s conduct and decisions.

Dr Asamoah, a law lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, previously held several senior positions at the EC, including Director of Finance, Director of the Training Centre and Head of Audit.

His appointment has not attracted the same level of public scrutiny as that of Ms Agbenyo.