A private citizen, Daniel Ofosu-Appiah has petitioned President John Mahama to remove Jean Mensa as the Electoral Commission(EC) boss.
Additionally, Mr. Ofosu-Appiah is demanding the removal of her two deputies: Samuel Tettey, Dr. Bossman Eric Asare, and Dr. Peter Appiahene, over their affiliation with the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The petitioner has accused the EC commissioners of constitutional violations, incompetence, and bias, alleging that their actions have undermined public trust.
Daniel referenced past comments and actions by Dr. Bossman Asare and Dr. Peter Appiahene, accusing them of compromising the EC’s impartiality.
“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,” he stated.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Ofosu-Appiah also cited the exclusion of residents from Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) from participating in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
As a native of the Volta Region, he argued that the exclusion of the communities from selecting a representative was unconstitutional and had significant political implications.
“People will say, ‘Why now?’ but it is better late than never. Someone must do something about it. There is no political motivation. I’m only a concerned citizen,” he stated.
He has therefore urged President Mahama to invoke Article 146 of the Constitution to initiate processes for their removal.
“If we don’t do something about it, anybody who is given this position will use it for their own benefits. I hope and believe that the President will send it to the Chief Justice for the right thing to be done,” he added.
Jean Mensa was appointed on July 23, 2018, after her predecessor, Charlotte Osei, was removed from office and has superintended two major elections.
Meanwhile, a former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, had earlier advised President Mahama to allow Jean Mensa to continue her work despite the change of government.
He stated that the nation must seek to strengthen its institutions and that removing people along political lines sets a bad precedent.
