Akufo-Addo appointed Dr Appiahene, others without the advice of the Council of State – Dafeamekpor suggests

The Member of Parliament for South Dayi has suggested that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani as deputy commissioners of the Electoral Commission without the consulting the Council of State as required by the constitution.

Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor came to this conclusion after reading the response from the Council of State to the NDC's petition on the appointment of Dr Peter Appiahene and Ahmed Tijani because they were deemed to be members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He said that the letter shows that President Akufo-Addo appointed and swore in the three deputy commissioners before approaching the council which violates the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

“This letter from the Council of State reveals that contrary to Article 70(2) of the Constitution, the Prez actually nominated & swore into office the 2 EC Commissioners before the Council was approached by the Prez for their ‘Advice’,” the MP wrote.

In the said letter, which was shared by the South Dayi legislator, the Council of State stated that it considers the qualification of potential appointees of the president before advising him on them.

The council, however, indicated that because President Akufo-Addo had already sworn in the two EC appointees the NDC petitioned them about there was nothing they could do.

"The process of advising the President is that the President submits names of the intended persons accompanied by their particulars with a write-up or what is called Curriculum Vitae (CV). The Council of State studies the said CVs to ascertain the suitability or otherwise of the said individuals. When the Council is satisfied that the named individuals have the requisite qualifications it proceeds to approve the nomination. If the Council is not satisfied with the qualifications, it declines to make a recommendation.

“As you rightly stated in paragraph & of the third page of your letter, the President having sworn into Office the two individuals, "the Council of State has become functus officio in the process of their appointments". It is therefore not possible to review the recommendations already made by the Council to the President,” parts of the letter reads.

Read the MP's tweet plus the full letter by the Council of State in response to the NDC’s petition below:

This letter from the Council of State reveals that contrary to Article 70(2) of the Const, the Prez actually nominated & swore into office the 2 EC Commissioners before the Council was approached by the Prez for their ‘Advice’.

Whaaat? pic.twitter.com/wuPuGbZTsV

— Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq. MP. (@etsedafeamekpor) August 4, 2023

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