A Ghanaian citizen residing in the Volta region has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama to remove the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Jean Mensa, from office.
He also wants the president to remove the two deputies, Samuel Tetteh and Dr. Bossman Eric Asare, as well as EC member Dr. Peter Appiahene, out of office.
The petitioner filed the petition today, Monday, January 27, 2025.
He is alleging a breach of fundamental human rights under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution.
He also cited constitutional breaches such as incompetence, bias, and actions and inactions that undermine public confidence in the impartiality and integrity of the Commission contrary to Articles 23 and 296 of the 1992 constitution.
According to the petitioner, the disenfranchisement of voters in the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) areas during the 2020 parliamentary elections is a gross violation of citizens’ rights under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution.
He argued that the EC’s action by denying SALL residents representation in Parliament is “an attempt to influence the balance of power in Parliament.”
“For over four years, the people of SALL were deprived of their constitutional right to parliamentary representation, leaving them without a voice in the legislative process. Also, at the time of this deliberate exclusion, the parliamentary composition was a hung parliament. The SALL area’s parliamentary vote was pivotal and could have potentially given the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) a majority. By disenfranchising these voters, the EC acted in a manner that suggests partisan bias and an attempt to influence the balance of power in Parliament.”
The petition further described the EC’s handling of the 2020 elections as ‘poor,’ citing issues of errors in presidential election results and claims of bias by the commissioners.
“The chairperson of the Electoral Commission, in concert with her deputies, has demonstrated gross incompetence in the performance of her duties. Announcing such a critical decision (Exhibit A) on the eve of an election suggests poor management and a failure to anticipate the impact of the Guan District’s creation on electoral arrangements.”
The petitioner also referenced past comments on social media by Dr. Bossman Asare and Dr. Peter Appiahene, accusing them of jeopardising the impartiality that the Commission should possess.
“Dr. Bossman Asare made numerous social media comments on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter before his appointment, displaying overt bias against the opposition party. These statements have raised questions about his impartiality and suitability for the role.”
The petition called on President Mahama to act under Article 146 of the Constitution to restore public confidence in the electoral process while supporting it with detailed exhibits and evidence to substantiate the claims.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
