Akufo-Addo accepted petitions from ghosts to remove Charlotte Osei as EC chair — Hannah Bissiw

The National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw, has described former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s removal of Charlotte Osei as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) as unfair.

According to her, the petitions that led to Madam Osei’s removal came from unidentified individuals, whom she described as “ghosts.”

Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Eyewitness News, Dr. Bissiw claimed Charlotte Osei was denied a fair hearing to respond to the allegations against her at the time.

“We had Charlotte Osei, a dignified woman—the first woman to head our Electoral Commission and who supervised very difficult elections.

“We had President Akufo-Addo, who decided to accept petitions from ghosts, turned himself into a conveyor belt, and directed that she be removed. She did not even have the privilege of being heard on what she was accused of in this country,” she stated.

Charlotte Osei, along with her deputies Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, was removed from office in 2018 following recommendations by a committee that investigated allegations of corruption and misconduct.

The petition against her, filed in 2017 by a group identifying themselves as “concerned EC workers,” accused her of unilateral decision-making and irregularities, including the cancellation of a contract with Superlock Technologies Limited (STL) and authorizing a $76,000 payment to IT firm Dream Oval.

The fallout also saw tensions between Osei and her deputies, resulting in counter-petitions against Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwaa.

A year-long investigation ended with the committee recommending the removal of all three commissioners.