Prominent legal practitioner Victoria Bright has added her voice to the growing public demand for a reset of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), citing widespread perceptions of lost neutrality, constitutional breaches, and a series of administrative and political controversies under the Commission’s current leadership.
Speaking candidly on the state of electoral governance in the country, Victoria Bright, a dual-qualified lawyer in Ghana and the United Kingdom (England & Wales), expressed deep concern over the declining trust in the Commission and emphasized the urgent need to restore the credibility and neutrality of the institution that plays a central role in Ghana’s democratic process.
“We had Mr. Afari-Gyan running the EC, and we didn’t have any of these incidents and so much drama. An electoral commission in any country must be respected by all. It’s our Electoral Commission as Ghanaians, and we need to have the perception of it being competent and neutral.”
Victoria Bright
The former Deputy Minister of State at the Presidency under former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration further pointed to a series of incidents and decisions that, in her view, have compromised the EC’s perceived neutrality and undermined confidence in its ability to deliver fair and transparent electoral outcomes.
SALL Disenfranchisement
One such issue is the Commission’s handling of the 2020 general elections, which left one constituency—SALL (Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi, and Likpe)—without parliamentary representation, a development she described as constitutionally indefensible.
“In 2020, the EC conducted elections with one constituency not represented, contrary to our constitution. Every Ghanaian voice is important. For four years, I don’t understand, for the life of me, why SALL went unrepresented.
“And as we speak, we conducted elections six months ago, and Ablekuma North still has no representation in Parliament either. The results remain unannounced, and there are various discussions going on about whether to do a rerun.”
Victoria Bright
Such oversights, Bright argued, go beyond mere administrative lapses and speak directly to the core values of inclusivity and representation in a democracy.
“I have not been happy with the fact that people have been left unrepresented for four years, and I don’t believe that anybody can be happy about that. These are facts.”
Victoria Bright
Partisan Affiliation
Adding to her list of concerns, she cited troubling affiliations of senior EC officials with political parties, particularly the opposition, suggesting that such political histories compromise public confidence in their impartiality.
While acknowledging that every Ghanaian has the right to political affiliation, she insisted that individuals with overt partisan records should not be placed in positions where neutrality is essential.
“When you’ve been actively involved with one political party and then you’ve been put in this senior position, it actually makes people nervous, and that does not help.”
Victoria Bright
Bright also recalled the procurement breaches raised by IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, a policy think tank, which accused the EC of flouting procurement rules in the lead-up to the 2020 elections.
She insisted that these are not mere criticisms but substantive governance concerns that must be addressed openly.
“I think we have to speak the truth to ourselves. If things have not gone as they should, we should have the conviction to come out and speak the truth.”
Victoria Bright
One of the darkest moments in Ghana’s recent electoral history—the violence at the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election—was also referenced by Victria Bright as emblematic of the breakdown in trust and accountability.
While acknowledging that the EC is not directly responsible for election security, she questioned the underlying decisions and processes that may have contributed to the chaotic outcome.
Though the EC may not have had direct control over the security arrangements, she maintained that their conduct in administering and overseeing processes that culminated in such violent confrontations adds to the litany of reasons why many Ghanaians are calling for a structural reset.
“I’m citing all these to show that I understand why people are uncomfortable about them continuing to run the show. The issue of neutrality and impartiality is there for all to see.”
Victoria Bright
In conclusion, Victoria Bright underscored the importance of institutional trust, transparency, and public accountability, especially in institutions tasked with upholding the democratic will of the people. “These are facts,” she stressed. “There are complaints against the EC, and I believe we must take them seriously,” she remarked.
Her call aligns with a growing chorus of civil society voices, legal experts, and political actors who have urged for a broader review of the EC’s leadership and operational framework in the wake of deepening public discontent.
Whether Ghana’s constitutional mechanisms, such as Article 146, will be activated to address these concerns remains to be seen.
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