Political Analyst, Samuel Boateng, has questioned the timing of President Akufo-Addo’s latest appointment to the Electoral Commission.
On Monday, President Akufo-Addo swore in Dr. Peter Appiahene, Salima Ahmed Tijani and Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng as new commission members. Pictures have since gone viral, particularly that of Dr. Peter Appiahene as a patron of the NPP’s tertiary institutions wing; TESCON, specifically at the University of Energy and Natural Resources.
The largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), accused the President of appointing known members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to the E.C.
Speaking on the issue in an interview on Wednesday, Mr. Samuel Boateng averred the President in making the appointment to the E.C, should have factored the timing and the current issues about the electoral management body to avoid unnecessary controversy.
“You can do a good thing at the wrong time; I see the timing of these appointments as very wrong. Granted that the President is mandated by Article 195 to make such appointments, given the brouhaha about the E.C’s work, especially with the new controversial C.I., which a large section of Ghanaians are not happy with, the President should not have made such an appointment to stir more controversy.
“Aside from the timing being wrong, people have issues with one of the personalities known to be an NPP member. Such a person in the eye of the public cannot be seen to be an objective and unbiased commissioner, especially with the kind of very partisan politics we do in Ghana, no matter how competent the person is.”
Political Analyst, Samuel Boateng
He claimed that the time has come for the President to refrain from making appointments to some sensitive positions in the country. “Apart from the E.C. Chairperson, all the other Commissioners should not be appointed by the president,” he added.
The Appointment Has The Potential To Generate Conflict
Governance and policy think tank Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Gh) said that the appointment of the new members of the Electoral Commission Committee has the latent probability of engendering conflicts of all kind before, during and after the 2024 elections in the country.
CDD-GH therefore, is appealing to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to reconsider his decision to appoint Dr. Peter Appiahene to the board of the Electoral Commission (EC).
It said the mere fact that Dr. Appiahene is a patron of the Tertiary Education Confederacy (TESCON), which is a student body affiliated to the governing New Patriotic Party is problematic. It urged the President to take a second look at the appointment of Dr. Appiahene.
CDD-GH wondered if the appointment of Dr. Appiahene, was done in consultation with the Council of State in accordance with Article 71. It maintained that the appointment has the potential to generate conflict.
However, Dr. Abrampa, the Director General of National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), also raised concerns with the President’s latest appointment to the EC board while speaking in an interview.
“Their appointment is in line with Article 43 (1 and 2) of the 1992 Constitution which states: ‘There shall be an Electoral Commission which shall consist of a chairman, two deputy chairmen, and four other members Constitution.’ The members of the commission shall be appointed by the President under article 70 of this.”
Dr. Abrampa
He holds firm to the fact that there is nothing wrong with the appointments once it is done in accordance with the law and as such, Ghanaians should allow the appointed individuals execute their jobs peacefully.
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