The Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has called for the resignation of Electoral Commission (EC) Deputy Chairperson Emelia Afi Agbenyo, urging President John Dramani Mahama to advise her to step down amid concerns over her alleged affiliation with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The call was made by CDD-Ghana’s Programmes Manager, Paul Aborampah Mensah, who argued that allowing concerns over political affiliations to persist could undermine public confidence in the country’s electoral management system.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Friday, October 16, Mr Mensah said, “what we are demanding now is that perhaps the President did not recognise the impact of the appointment he was making. Now that it has been realised publicly, he can advise the lady to resign, or the lady, on moral grounds, can herself resign.”
He stressed the need to protect the independence of state institutions, warning against a situation where changes in government routinely affect the leadership and operations of key national institutions.
“We don’t want a situation where after every change of government our institutions are affected. That’s what we need to avoid as a country,” he said.
Mr Mensah cautioned that the continued politicisation of electoral management could have serious consequences for Ghana’s democratic processes.
“If we are not careful and continue that way, it will get to a point that we’ll be sorry for the kind of people who have been managing our elections,” he added.
The concerns follow the swearing-in of Mrs Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kweku Asamoah as Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission by President Mahama on October 12.
Questions have since been raised about Mrs Agbenyo’s alleged affiliation with the NDC, with critics arguing that it raises concerns about the constitutional requirement for the Commission to operate impartially.
However, at the swearing-in ceremony, President Mahama urged the newly appointed deputy chairpersons to uphold impartiality and protect the right of Ghanaians to freely choose their leaders.
