Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has cautioned against growing calls for the removal of the leadership of the Electoral Commission (EC), warning that such moves could destabilise Ghana’s democratic institutions.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Thursday, June 26, Nana Awuah described recent comments by NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketiah—calling for the dismissal of EC Chair Jean Mensa and her deputies—as part of a troubling trend of politically driven attacks on independent state bodies.
“We should be worried because it is an indication of things to come. They told us they were going to remove the Chief Justice, and it happened. It was the same Asiedu Nketiah, subsequently echoed by his deputy, Mustapha Gbande, and we are all witnesses to what is going on,” he cautioned.
Nana Awuah argued that the current call for the dismissal of EC Chair, Jean Mensa and her deputies signals an even more dangerous political direction.
“Today, they are telling us they think the EC and her deputies should be removed. It is an indication of what lies ahead,” he added.
The MP questioned the long-term implications for Ghana’s governance structure: “The fundamental question will be, whose interest is this going to serve? Are we going to get to the point where every government comes in with its own Chief Justice and Electoral Commission? Is that good for our democracy? It is very dangerous. We shouldn’t encourage it.”
Nana Awuah’s remarks follow calls by NDC Chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia on June 25 for the removal of the EC’s top leadership, whom he accused of lacking the competence to conduct credible elections.
Citing incidents such as the disenfranchisement of the SALL constituency in the 2020 elections and the unresolved Ablekuma North parliamentary dispute, Asiedu Nketiah argued that the Commission under Jean Mensa has shown a pattern of failure that cannot be ignored.