Can’t Ghana find non-partisan people for EC positions? – Kwesi Pratt on Affi Agbenyo's appointment

Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr has questioned the appointment of Emelia Affi Agbenyo as a Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).

President John Dramani Mahama swore in Ms Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah as Deputy Chairpersons of the EC on Monday, October 12.

The appointments followed the resignation of Dr Bossman Asare and the retirement of Samuel Tettey.

The appointments have been met with criticism from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which alleges that Ms Agbenyo was an active member of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and played a role in its 2024 election campaign.

Speaking on Accra-based Peace FM’s Kokrokoo morning show on Tuesday, October 13, Kwesi Pratt expressed concern about the political affiliations of the new appointee, particularly her reported involvement in the NDC’s manifesto team.

He also compared the recent appointment with the controversy surrounding the appointment of Dr Peter Appiahene to the EC in 2023, which attracted criticism from the NDC and some political commentators over allegations of his ties to the NPP.

The veteran journalist said the same standards should apply to appointments made by different administrations, arguing that the credibility of the EC depends partly on public confidence in its independence.

“I'm both shocked and afraid. Are we saying that out of the entire 35 million people in Ghana, we cannot find someone who has not joined any party manifesto team to be appointed to the EC?” he asked.