Politics of 2026-10-14
Ofosu Kwakye admits NDC member was added to EC to 'tilt the balance'
Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has defended the appointment of Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah as the new Deputy Chairpersons of Ghana's Electoral Commission (EC) by President John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews, Kwakye Ofosu challenged the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) over its criticism of the appointed individuals because of their perceived political affiliations, particularly Afi Agbenyo, whom they say is a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He argued that the previous administration had also appointed people associated with its party to the EC and other public institutions.
The minister argued that resetting the country should include addressing perceived imbalances in state institutions, including bodies responsible for managing elections.
“A reset could also mean balancing a lopsided state institution,” he said when asked if the appointment formed part of the government's efforts to reset the commission.
Kwakye Ofosu questioned the current composition of the EC, arguing that the presence of several members of the NPP raised concerns about the balance.
“Why is it acceptable for us to have a situation where out of seven committees who manage the Ghanaian election, almost four of them are NPP?” he asked.
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He subsequently defended the decision to alter the composition, asking: “What is wrong with tilting the balance?”
When pressed on whether this meant the government had deliberately included an NDC member to change the balance, the minister's remarks indicated that the appointment was intended to achieve that objective.
Watch a video of his remarks below:
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