Centre for Democracy and Socio-Economic Development (CDS Africa), has advised President John Dramani Mahama not to attempting replacing the Electoral Commission chairperson, Jean Mensa and her two deputies.
According to the, any attempt by the president to make such a move will be faced with fierce opposition as doing so will set a dangerous precedent for future governments, potentially infringing upon the independence of the Commission.
CDS Africa’s petition comes after two separate petitions were filed against the EC Chairperson and her deputies – Dr Bossman Asare and Mr Samuel Tettey – alleging misconduct and calling for their removal from office.
The first petition, filed by the Positive Transparency and Accountability Movement – Ghana (PTAAM-GH) and dated 8th January 2025, claimed the Commission caused significant financial loss to the state by compiling a new voter register and procuring new biometric devices ahead of the 2020 general election.
On Monday, 27th January, a second petition was submitted by a concerned citizen, accusing the EC leadership of breaching Article 42 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. The allegations include incompetence, bias, and, in particular, reference to the disenfranchisement of voters in Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi, and Likpe (SALL) during the 2020 parliamentary election—leaving them without parliamentary representation.
CDS Africa issuing a preemptive strike ahead of President Mahama’s expected official directive regarding the two petitions, they wrote,
“Your Excellency, the fundamental principle that electoral commissions should be independent of political influence should outweigh all other considerations.”
“If this administration dissolves the current Commission, future governments will feel emboldened to do the same, creating a dangerous cycle of political interference that could ultimately undermine Ghana’s hard-earned democratic stability.”
“CDS believes that by declining the request to remove the EC leadership, the President will help preserve public trust in the Electoral Commission.”
“They reiterated that any move to dissolve the current Commission risks opening the door to a recurring pattern of political interference, which could erode democratic institutions and compromise the electoral process in Ghana.”
