I still insist Charlotte Osei is ‘stupid’ - Hassan Ayariga

Founder and Leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), Dr. Hassan Ayariga, has insisted that Madam Charlotte Osei, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana is “stupid” and unfit to run the office she is currently occupying.

According to him, although he has no personal vendetta against the first female chairperson of the EC, his position and judgment on Madam Charlotte Osei is purely base upon her performance since her appointment.

“I still stand by my earlier claim that Madam Charlotte Osei is stupid, and I would even add that she is ignorant to manage the EC office”, he told Bright Kwesi Asempa, host of the Onua FM morning show “Yen Nsem Pa”.

This is the second time Dr. Hassan Ayariga is describing the EC chair in that manner, owing to the fact that the APC, a party he formed was among some political parties disqualified from contesting the 2016 general elections on the basis of some irregularities contained in their nomination forms.

Some individual, purported to be workers at the Electoral Commission, through their Lawyer, has submitted a petition to the President which was subsequently referred to the Attorney General, praying for an impeachment of the Chairperson of the commission, Madam Charlotte Osei, on the grounds of some alleged corrupt practices committed by the chairperson.

Following this Madam Charlotte issued a statement responding to the financial malfeasance allegations levelled against her, and equally making a counter allegation against her two deputies, Mr. Amadu Sulley, and Mrs. Georgina Amankwah. The two deputy commissioners have however issued a rejoinder denying the allegations.

This accusations and counter accusations have attracted several calls, with some civil society organisations including the Christian Council of Ghana, calling for cool heads at the Electoral Commission.

However,expressing his opinion on the current development at the EC on the Tuesday’s edition of Onua FM’s morning show “Yen Nsem Pa”, the APC leader claimed that the EC chair is running the office with emotions and acting as though she holds personal grudges against certain people at the institution, even including himself, Hassan Ayariga.

He observed that the accusations and counter accusations the commissioners have levelled against each other are indicative of the fact that there is mistrust and disunity in the entire EC set up, which is fastly degenerating into chaos, a situation he posited is tarnishing the credibility of the Electoral Commission.

“I have said it and will continue to repeat it at any given opportunity that Madam Charlotte Osei is not fit to run that office. She has brought more scandals to the EC more than any of her predecessor. She is with speed, destroying the legacies of those who went ahead of her. After her appointment, I said she cannot handle it and I am being vindicated”

Mr. Hassan Ayariga however advised that when an allegation of such magnitude is levelled against any person in her position, the laws must be allowed to take its course in order to establish the truth or otherwise of the allegation, hence calling on President Nana Akuffo-Addo to institute a commission of inquiry to look into the allegations.

“They are not the only people who can manage the commission and once their credibility has been called into question, then they must resign humbly to pave way for investigations or they must be sacked completely”, he added.