Political analyst Professor Jonathan Asante Otchere has criticised the Council of State for failing to alert President John Dramani Mahama to concerns about Emelia Affi Agbenyo’s political background before her appointment as a Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).
He said the Council should have provided the President with relevant information to help him avoid the controversy surrounding the appointment, which has subjected his government to public scrutiny.
Speaking in an interview, Prof. Asante Otchere argued that a more careful selection process could have prevented the backlash, particularly when other candidates could have been considered without raising similar concerns about political neutrality.
“The Council of State has disappointed the President. You see, sometimes it is not always the case that, of course, in this particular appointment, they have disappointed him because they should probably have informed him of the person’s background,” he said.
His comments follow concerns from critics over Mrs Agbenyo’s alleged affiliation with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC). She was sworn in alongside Dr Joseph Kweku Asamoah as a Deputy Chairperson of the EC on October 12.
Prof. Asante Otchere maintained that the President could have considered other individuals sympathetic to the NDC but without publicly known political affiliations likely to raise questions about their impartiality.
He described the controversy as unnecessary pressure on the President, insisting that the concerns could have been avoided if the appointment process had been handled more carefully.
“I have said that this is a needless pressure that the President has brought onto himself,” he said.
The political analyst also questioned the public explanation that the appointment was intended to balance political interests, arguing that such considerations should not have been openly emphasised.
He further called for a review of the process for appointing Electoral Commission officials, suggesting that Ghana explore alternative mechanisms to strengthen public confidence in the independence of the electoral management body.
Prof. Asante Otchere stressed that appointments to the EC must prioritise public trust in the Commission’s neutrality to ensure that political controversies do not undermine confidence in its constitutional role of overseeing elections.
