Leave office with the sanctity of our Electoral Commission intact – Prof Gyampo to Akufo-Addo

Professor Ransford Gyampo, a Senior Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to respect the sanctity of the Electoral Commission and other independent institutions in the country.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, May 30, Prof. Gyampo expressed his concerns over a memo from the Electoral Commission's Director of Human Resources, requesting the submission of Curricula Vitae (CVs) of senior management of state agencies.

In his post, the outspoken lecturer wrote, "Dear President Akufo Addo, Why do you want to do this to an Independent Commission? It appears under your tenure, you are doing everything you can to decimate the independence of all independent institutions, but to what end?"

He went on to highlight the history of Ghana's Fourth Republic, stating that President Akufo-Addo is currently the "worst President in promoting the sanctity of the independence of the Electoral Commission."

Prof. Gyampo also criticized the lack of courageous people around the President, capable of advising him against such actions.

He recalled a time when Dan Botwe, then-General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), could boldly tell President Kufuor to back off from usurping the procurement powers of the Electoral Commission.

He urged the President to "leave office and leave the sanctity of our independent institutions intact."

Prof. Gyampo warned that this practice is not worth emulating or repeating, particularly given its negative optics concerning the trust issues of the Electoral Commission.

The political science expert called on the Electoral Commission to also resist any attempts to subjugate itself under the Executive President.

As an independent commission, he emphasized that it is backed by law to maintain its autonomy.

In response to the memo from the Electoral Commission's Director of Human Resource, Prof. Gyampo said, "This demand is unnecessary, and its optics for the quest to deal with the independence deficit of the Electoral Commission are bad."