Reverend Fred Deegbe, a member of the Advisory Board of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), has expressed concerns about the impact that the presence of two newly appointed board members of the Electoral Commission (EC) may have on public confidence in the electoral body.
According to him, the new board members are politically tainted and unlikely to act in the interest of Ghanaians while on the board.
The newly appointed board members, Dr Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani were appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in March 2023. However, their alleged affiliation with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has raised concerns about their impartiality, which could violate the 1992 Constitution.
In an interview with Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Reverend Deegbe said that the public has not seen any credentials of the appointees and only now finding out that they have strong political ties to the NPP.
He stated that an electoral management body should be seen as fair to all players and their stay in office will affect Ghanaians' confidence in the electoral body.
Reverend Deegbe also noted that if it is proven that the appointees are NPP fanatics, their presence on the board could negatively affect the public perception of the EC. He cited Hajia Salima's political inclination as being influenced by her husband and relatives, suggesting that she could be politically biased.
Furthermore, he questioned whether the appointees' nominations were approved by the Council of State and whether the necessary requirements of approval and consultation with the Council of State were met.
He called on the two board members to resign, warning that their politically-tainted status would create difficulties for everybody.
