We need an EC that will not favour a party – Ross Owusu

A member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) legal team, Ross Owusu, has warned that the appointment of Emelia Afi Agbenyo as Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission could undermine public confidence in Ghana’s electoral process ahead of the 2028 general elections.

Owusu said the EC’s independence and impartiality were essential to the credibility of elections, and argued that the controversy over Agbenyo’s alleged NDC affiliation risked raising doubts about the Commission’s neutrality.

He said the President should act to address the concerns before the country enters the next election cycle.

“We need to go into 2028 and the processes leading to 2028 with the confidence that we have an Electoral Commission that is not biased, an Electoral Commission that is not going to favour a certain political party,” he said.

Owusu argued that public confidence was particularly important given concerns about trust in the Commission.

He said the President should take into account the potential consequences of the appointment for the EC’s reputation and for Ghana’s democratic process.

Owusu also urged Mahama to listen to calls from civil society and other individuals who have questioned the appointment, saying the issue extended beyond partisan disagreement.

“The President has every opportunity to purge himself of this blot that he has placed on himself and on our democracy,” he said.

He added that the President should use the opportunity to demonstrate that the EC’s independence would be protected regardless of political considerations.

Owusu maintained that asking Agbenyo to resign would be preferable to pursuing a formal process to remove her, and argued that such a move could help restore public confidence ahead of the 2028 polls.