Council of State should not exist; its election is fraught with fraud — Franklin Cudjoe

Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has weighed in on the longstanding conversation about whether the Council of State should be scrapped.

The policy advisor and political commentator said the body should be removed from the system, arguing that its elections are fraught with fraud.

In a social media post on Thursday, February 13, Mr. Cudjoe wrote, “The Council of State should not exist! The means to get on the needless body is fraught with fraud, electoral fraud.”

Meanwhile, the Council of State elections were held on Tuesday, February 11, during which regional representatives were chosen for the 16 regions.

The Ashanti Region election was marred by chaos as machomen attacked and disrupted the ballot sorting. Electoral materials were enjoyed as police officers failed to stop the attackers.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has scheduled a re-run of the Council of State elections in the North East and Ashanti Regions for Monday, February 17, 2025.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, February 12, the Commission explained that the decision was necessitated by a tie in the North East Region, where the two leading candidates each secured six votes.

Under electoral regulations, a re-run is required to determine the winner.

In the Ashanti Region, the election was disrupted by unidentified individuals, preventing the process from being concluded. As a result, the EC has decided to conduct a fresh vote to ensure a fair outcome.

To prevent further disturbances, the Commission has formally requested the Ghana Police Service and the National Election Security Taskforce to enhance security at the election venues.

Reaffirming its commitment to a transparent and credible process, the EC assured the public that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure a smooth and orderly election.