Two EC bosses who received death threats while discharging their duties 

Being the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana seems to be one of the most challenging public sector jobs, requiring one to act as a referee in elections in a country that is deeply divided along political lines.

Historically, chairpersons of the Electoral Commission have had their integrity questioned, mainly by members of the two leading political parties—the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress.

Over the years, politicians have accused whoever is the EC boss of being biased towards a particular political party, depending on which of these two parties is in power.

Some EC Chairpersons, besides facing various allegations, have also received death threats.

This week, a former EC Chairperson revealed that she received death threats while carrying out her constitutionally mandated duty.

GhanaWeb examines two Chairpersons of the electoral body who have faced death threats.

Charlotte Osei

Former Chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei, disclosed that she encountered multiple death threats during her tenure.

In an interview on Accra-based Joy FM, Madame Osei expressed how her job inadvertently put her family's security at risk.

"There were threats through the mail, and sometimes the security agencies would call to warn me to be careful," she disclosed.

Mrs. Osei clarified that the unfavorable political environment made things especially challenging for her young children, who were mistreated at school.

She admitted that although she does not let fear dictate her life, she questioned if the profession was worth endangering her family.

"My family was very supportive and recognized that it was just for a season. All storms run out of water at some point, so everyone encouraged me to stay strong and see how things would unfold after the elections," she stated.

Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan

Another individual who received death threats while performing his duties was Ghana's longest-serving EC boss, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan.

In 2012, the police initiated an investigation into alleged death threats against Dr. Afari Gyan.

“Maybe the intention is to do harm to me, maybe to frighten me. Let me say that I will not be frightened,” Afari-Gyan said.

“I will do my work in accordance with the understanding of the rules and regulations under which it operates,” he added.

However, an official from the police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) mentioned that the inquiry into the alleged threats would determine whether to enhance security for Afari-Gyan ahead of the December 7 presidential, parliamentary, and local elections at the time.

“The chairman already has some level of protection, but if we assess the threat and find that we need to increase security for the chairman, we will do so,” Frank Kwofi, the assistant commissioner of the police CID, said in a report by VOA.

KA/MA