Election Watch Ghana has expressed profound disappointment following the dismissal of petitions seeking the removal of the Electoral Commissioner and her two deputies.
Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM on Thursday, February 19, 2026, the group’s convener, Mr Mark Ewusi Arkoh, described the outcome as “shocking”.
He maintained that there were “thousands of reasons” to justify the removal of EC Chairperson Jean Mensa and her deputies, arguing they had demonstrated incompetence and a failure to discharge their duties with integrity.
Mr Arkoh suggested that the outcome signals a worrying trend where institutional stability is favoured over accountability.
“We are disappointed that the Chief Justice could not establish a prima facie case against the Electoral Commissioner and her two deputies,” Arkoh stated. “However, we want to state emphatically that this does not exonerate the incompetence and bias of the EC leadership. It appears the government is prioritising institutional stability over integrity, and unfortunately, the integrity of the judiciary has been affected. Some of their actions appear biased, and the confidence and joy Ghanaians once held for the judiciary is fading.”
During his interview with host Kwabena Agyapong, Mr Arkoh further cautioned that the judiciary’s credibility is at stake due to its recent track record.
“I believe that when issues arise, it is important to deal with them directly instead of dancing around the problem. The judiciary is gradually losing its integrity. There is no reason to sacrifice the standards of our democracy just to protect the Electoral Commission from public backlash. We all live in this country and have seen exactly what is happening.”
The convener pointed out that various stakeholders—including the NDC, NPP, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)—have previously raised alarms regarding the EC’s perceived bias.
He cited electoral mismanagement and the release of inaccurate data during recent elections as primary causes of public agitation.
“The Electoral Commission and its management were providing confusing figures and making predictions about data they could not properly manage. We witnessed inconsistent data, a lack of transparency, and incomplete information. Furthermore, the addition of two deputies known to be NPP partisans has made the Commission look totally biased.”
He also drew a comparison to the previous administration of the Commission, indicating that Mrs Charlotte Osei, who was removed for administrative and procurement breaches, would not have committed these mistakes.
“I am not saying we should simply compare Madam Jean Mensa to Madam Charlotte Osei, but Madam Charlotte did not commit these kinds of errors. We are all stakeholders in this democratic process, and we deserve a competent Electoral Commission.”
He warned that the current outcome suggests the EC remains under the influence of the Executive.
He stressed that urgent reforms are needed and maintained his stance that the EC Chairperson and her deputies must vacate their positions to restore public trust.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
