The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Director of Elections, Mahdi Jibril, has argued that public criticism of Ghana’s Electoral Commission would persist regardless of who leads the institution, suggesting that even the appointment of Jesus Christ would not satisfy everyone.
He made the comments in an interview where he discussed the swearing-in of Emelia Afi Agbenyo as a Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.
Mr Jibril attributed the recurring criticism of electoral officials to deep-rooted political divisions and a lack of public confidence in the institution, arguing that no appointee could entirely avoid scrutiny in Ghana’s political environment.
“Go and bring Jesus Christ, and Ghanaians will still have issues. Even if you bring Jesus Christ or Mohammed as Electoral Commissioner, people will still have concerns in our political dispensation,” he said in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on Adom FM.
He also described the reactions to Agbenyo’s appointment as hypocritical, insisting that the controversy reflected a familiar pattern in the country’s political discourse.
“Sometimes, it is hypocrisy that makes us behave this way. We have come to live with this,” he stated.
Turning his attention to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Jibril challenged the party’s objections to the appointment. He argued that its own position on electing a vice-chairman to safeguard its electoral interests contradicted its current criticism.
“The NPP has made us aware that they have elected a vice-chairman who will protect their ballot box. So why are they running away and making noise?” he asked.
His remarks follow growing debate over Agbenyo’s appointment, particularly concerns raised by critics about her past participation in NDC political campaigns and the potential implications for public perceptions of the Electoral Commission’s impartiality.
