The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has called on Electoral Commission (EC) Deputy Chairperson Emelia Affi Agbenyo to resign over concerns about her past political activities and their potential impact on public confidence in the Commission’s impartiality.
The coalition urged President John Dramani Mahama to ask Ms Agbenyo to step down, arguing that the move would be consistent with his previous calls for reforms to the appointment of EC members.
Ms Agbenyo was sworn in as Deputy Chairperson of the EC on October 12, 2026.
In a statement, CODEO said publicly documented evidence of her involvement in the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s 2024 election campaign raised concerns about the perceived independence and credibility of the electoral management body.
According to the coalition, the NDC announced Ms Agbenyo in August 2024 as one of its sectoral spokespersons for the party’s election manifesto under the governance portfolio.
It also said she identified herself on LinkedIn as a governance-sector spokesperson during the campaign.
CODEO further cited social media posts it attributed to Ms Agbenyo during the election period, including a September 20, 2024, post featuring a video of then NDC presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama, accompanied by the party’s campaign song, Asempa by NACEE.
The coalition also referenced an October 31, 2024, post in which she shared a photograph of Mr Mahama with the caption: “To salvage our democracy, to restore good governance, reset our nation on the path of thriving democracy.”
It said the posts raised questions about public perceptions of the EC’s neutrality, while clarifying that its concerns were not about Ms Agbenyo’s professional qualifications or technical competence.
CODEO said the Commission’s credibility depends not only on the actual neutrality of its members but also on whether the public considers them impartial.
The coalition also recalled that in 2023, it joined STAR-Ghana Foundation and the Civic Forum Initiative in calling for the resignation of Dr Peter Appiahene over concerns about his alleged partisan affiliation with the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It further cited Mr Mahama’s 2023 criticism of appointments involving people he described as “known party activists” and his call for an amendment to Article 43(2) of the 1992 Constitution to require parliamentary approval of new EC commissioners.
CODEO is now calling for a more transparent, merit-based and consultative process for appointing members of the Commission.
It has urged the government to reconsider its position on proposed reforms, including independent scrutiny, clear selection criteria and meaningful parliamentary oversight.
The coalition has also asked the Council of State to establish transparent processes that would allow citizens to assess how it performs its constitutional advisory role.
CODEO maintains that protecting the EC’s independence requires safeguards against both actual political influence and perceptions of bias, regardless of which political party is in power.
