Ablakwa, Kwakye Ofosu differ over 'tilt the balance' EC appointment

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has criticized what he calls double standards in the controversy over the appointment of Emelia Afi Agbenyo as Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), insisting that political neutrality must be a consistent requirement regardless of which party is in government.

Ablakwa said that although President John Dramani Mahama had not acted unconstitutionally in appointing Agbenyo, concerns about the appearance of political bias could not be dismissed, particularly given the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) previous opposition to similar appointments under the erstwhile New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

His comments differ from those of the Government spokesperson and Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who has openly acknowledged that the governing NDC intended to “tilt the balance” in the composition of the EC by appointing Agbenyo.

The controversy has revived memories of the intense political and civil society opposition to former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s appointment of three new EC members in March 2023, particularly Dr Peter Appiahene, Reverend Akua Ofori-Boateng and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, whose perceived political affiliations triggered calls for their resignation.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews on Saturday, October 18, Ablakwa said the principles applied to appointments to the election management body should not change simply because political power had changed hands.

“Those double standards are not helpful in our public discourse. I would have wished for an entirely different situation. Yes, constitutionally, the President has not acted unconstitutionally, but the optics don’t look good. And those who are criticizing have the right, because we criticized when we were in opposition, and we believed that we were on the right footing,” he said.

He argued that the EC, as the institution responsible for managing the country’s elections, should be composed of neutral and independent individuals capable of commanding public confidence across the political divide.

Drawing an analogy with football, Ablakwa maintained that an electoral referee must be perceived as impartial, rather than someone whose political leanings could raise questions about the fairness of the contest.

“She is a woman of impeccable integrity. But the optics don’t look good, and I have always maintained that. Let’s have very neutral, independent arbiters appointed to the Electoral Commission. If it was wrong yesterday, it was not the best yesterday. It cannot be excellent today,” he said.

The minister, however, was careful to distinguish his concerns about the perception of Agbenyo’s appointment from his assessment of her personal integrity and professional competence.

He described her as a fiercely independent person whom he had known since her days as a student activist, arguing that her character and background demonstrated her ability to perform her duties.

“I’m not taking anything away from her competence and the fact that she can do the job. She is a woman of impeccable integrity,” he said.

Ablakwa also expressed regret that Agbenyo had been drawn into the controversy, stressing that his reservations centred on the broader principle of appointing politically affiliated individuals to positions where independence was crucial, rather than any personal objection to her capabilities.

Kwakye Ofosu’s defence of the appointment has intensified the debate over the NDC’s position on political neutrality at the EC.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, acknowledged that some Ghanaians had legitimate concerns about Agbenyo’s appointment but argued that her conduct in office would ultimately determine whether those concerns were justified.

“I have acknowledged that there are people who have legitimate concerns, but those concerns, in my view, will be mitigated by the conduct of Madam Afi (Emelia Afi Agbenyo) herself in the role that she’s been given,” he said.

He accused the NPP of double standards, arguing that the party had previously appointed individuals with political affiliations to state institutions.

Kwakye Ofosu also questioned why the composition of the EC should remain unchanged if, as he claimed, several of its commissioners were associated with the NPP.

“The other issue is that you see a Reset could also mean balancing the lopsided state institutions. Why is it acceptable for us to have a situation where, out of seven commissioners who manage Ghana’s elections, almost four are NPPs? Why should we live with that? What is wrong with tilting the balance?” he asked.

When the programme’s host asked whether tilting the balance meant appointing an NDC member to the Commission, he answered: “Yes.”

His remarks have provided fresh ammunition for critics who argue that the governing party’s admission of an intention to alter the EC’s political composition undermines its insistence that the appointment should be judged primarily by the appointee’s conduct.

The NPP has questioned Agbenyo’s suitability for the position, citing her participation in the NDC’s campaign activities and her role as a spokesperson for the party’s manifesto committee on governance.

During the discussion on Top Story, Nana B challenged the government’s position, arguing that President Mahama had criticized EC appointments under the previous administration but was now defending an appointment involving someone perceived as an NDC member.

“It is not NPP you’re talking to; it is Ghanaians,” he said.

The government maintains that Agbenyo’s conduct in office should be the basis for assessing her impartiality.

The controversy bears striking similarities to the public debate that followed President Akufo-Addo’s appointment of Dr Appiahene, Hajia Salima Tijani and Reverend Akua Ofori-Boateng to the EC in March 2023.

The appointments drew fierce criticism from the then opposition NDC and civil society organizations, which argued that perceived partisan affiliations among election commissioners could undermine public confidence in the institution.

Dr Appiahene, an academic who served as an Assistant Professor and Senior Lecturer at the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Sunyani, headed the university’s Department of Computer Science and Informatics.

He holds a PhD in Computer Science and an MPhil in Information Technology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

However, social media posts circulated following his appointment showed him participating in NPP activities in the Bono Region.

In one post published in January 2021, he appeared on an NPP-labelled flyer as one of six prospective candidates for the position of Bono Regional Minister.

The flyer urged party members to rally behind him, presenting him as a potential leader who could advance the region’s development.

In another video circulated online, Dr Appiahene was seen participating in a radio programme, Anopa Nimdee Adwasuo, on Nimdee FM 95.1 in Sunyani, where he reportedly identified himself as an NPP partisan and activist and referred to Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, as his chairman.

The disclosures triggered condemnation from sections of the public and the opposition NDC, which questioned whether a person perceived as a committed partisan could command confidence across the political divide while serving on the EC.

Hajia Salima Tijani, then a banker with the Agricultural Development Bank, also came under scrutiny over her family connections to prominent NPP figures.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrated Development Studies from the University for Development Studies, an MBA in Project Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), and was reported to be pursuing an MSc in Finance at the Accra Business School.

Reports at the time linked her to Sheikh T B Damba, a former Second National Vice-Chairman of the NPP who served as Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2017 to 2021.

Her mother, Hajia Samata Gifty Bukari, was reported to have served as the NPP’s first elected female First Vice-Chairperson in the Northern Region, while her sister, Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah, was identified as a former NPP parliamentary aspirant for Yendi and Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Loans Centre (MASLOC).

These connections raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the Commission’s perceived independence.

Reverend Akua Buabema Ofori-Boateng, the third appointee, was Director of Programmes for the Anglican Diocese of Accra and a priest serving at Holy Trinity Cathedral.

She had also hosted the gospel talk show #995TheWord on Asaase Radio, associated with NPP-linked Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a cousin of the then President, Akufo-Addo.

Her academic qualifications included degrees in Engineering Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration and Ministry.

Although all three appointments were announced together, the most intense public criticism centred on the alleged political activism and family connections involving Dr Appiahene and Hajia Tijani.

The appointments prompted a joint press briefing by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), STAR Ghana Foundation and Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) at the Ghana International Press Centre in Accra on April 5, 2023.

The organizations warned that appointing individuals widely perceived as partisan could deepen public mistrust in the EC.

“The appointment to the EC of individuals known or widely perceived to be partisan or party-biased can only go to deepen public mistrust in the EC,” they said.

They called for the resignations of Dr Appiahene and Hajia Tijani, arguing that such action would help rebuild public trust and safeguard the credibility of Ghana’s elections.

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