Sacking Jean Mensa is not a matter of primary concern to Mahama - Haruna Iddrisu

Former Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has stated that sacking the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa, is not one of the primary concerns of President-elect John Mahama.

According to the lawyer and astute politician, the president-elect is focused on more pressing issues, such as addressing the country’s ailing economy.

His comments follow calls by Joyce Bawah Mogtari, the special aide to President-elect John Dramani Mahama, for the resignation of the EC Chairperson due to concerns about the Commission’s handling of the 2024 elections.

The EC faced numerous challenges during the election, including issues with biometric verification devices and the recall and reprinting of ballot papers due to a leak of the original ballots. These problems eroded public trust in the Commission, with many describing its performance as incompetent.

In an interview on GHOne TV, Mrs. Mogtari expressed surprise that Jean Mensa had not resigned after the election declaration, given the series of issues that plagued the Commission. She argued that the EC’s performance had damaged its credibility, making it necessary to take steps to restore public confidence in future elections.

She stated, “I would have thought that she [Jean Mensa] would resign after the declaration. I don’t understand. But genuinely, considering the performance of the current Electoral Commission, what do you expect? From a very professional standpoint, if we genuinely want to move forward and start a new chapter with an independent EC, as the Constitution intended, let’s advertise the position, vet the candidates, and have Parliament handle the process. This will help remove the partisan outlook of the EC.”

However, Haruna Iddrisu, speaking in an interview on TV3 monitored by Ghanaweb, disagreed with the call for Jean Mensa's dismissal, arguing that there is no basis for such action.

“Why would you change the Electoral Commission Chairperson? These are not matters of primary concern to President John Mahama. I am begging you… where Jean Mensa is... she doesn’t determine who rules Ghana. Ghanaians determine who rules them,” Haruna Iddrisu stated.

Haruna Iddrisu disagrees with Prime minister Joyce?? Eii Eii Eii
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— Gen. Buhari (@Gen_Buhari_) December 14, 2024