The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has expressed strong disapproval regarding the appointment and swearing-in of Ms. Emelia Affi Agbenyo as Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana.
In a press statement issued on October 15, 2026, the election observer group called on Ms. Agbenyo to step down honourably to protect public confidence in the electoral body. CODEO also urged President John Dramani Mahama to demonstrate consistency with his past positions by asking her to resign.
The coalition noted that while the President retains constitutional authority over appointments, public evidence of Ms. Agbenyo’s active political engagement with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 general election campaign directly compromises the public perception of the commission’s independence, impartiality, and institutional credibility.
Documenting her partisan activities, CODEO highlighted that the NDC named Ms. Agbenyo as a sectoral spokesperson for its governance portfolio ahead of the 2024 elections. Her social media profiles and posts across platforms like Facebook and X during the 2024 campaign further confirmed her overt political alignment with the ruling party.
CODEO clarified that its concerns do not target Ms. Agbenyo’s professional qualification or technical competence. Instead, the coalition remains grounded in the principled stand that the Electoral Commission must remain neutral to inspire absolute public trust across the political spectrum.
Recalling similar instances, CODEO pointed out its historical consistency in opposing partisan appointments to the EC, including its 2023 demand alongside STAR-Ghana Foundation and the Civic Forum Initiative for the resignation of Dr. Peter Appiahene over his links to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The statement underscored that President Mahama, while in opposition in March 2023, voiced strong objections against appointing partisan activists to the EC and advocated for constitutional reforms to require parliamentary approval for new commissioners. CODEO maintained that those same standards must apply today under his administration to protect the integrity of democratic governance in Ghana.
Beyond individual resignations, the observer body renewed its call for broader structural reforms to the appointment process.
It urged the government to implement open, competitive, and merit-based selection procedures with parliamentary oversight, while calling on the Council of State to establish transparent processes in executing its advisory duties.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana