A leading member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Kwame Jantuah, has argued that Ghana’s 1992 Constitution does not require people who are elected into public offices to be neutral.
The idea of neutrality and the expectation of strict impartiality, he said, is only a convention rather than a legal obligation.
“I don’t know, I should have looked in my constitution. Does it say anywhere in the constitution that people who are elected should be neutral? It doesn’t. It doesn’t, but it probably is a convention that has made it look as if it is wrong,” he said.
Reacting to the appointment of two new Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission (EC) who opposition elements have linked to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) on GhOne TV’s Morning Show, GhToday on Tuesday, 13 October, 2026, Jantuah stated that the focus should be on the how well they execute their mandate.
“So the key is, can these people bring confidence into the EC? Because EC’s confidence is, is really down,” he said.
Jantuah’s remarks follows an intense debate over the appointments of Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, who were sworn in as Deputy Chairpersons by President John Dramani Mahama on 12 October 2026.
The two filled vacancies which were created by the resignation of Dr Bossman Asare and the retirement of Samuel Tettey.
Critics, particularly from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), have focused on Agbenyo’s past association with the NDC.
She served as a Governance Sector Spokesperson for the party’s 2024 manifesto campaign and made public comments critical of the previous administration.
NPP Communications Director Dennis Miracles Aboagye described her appointment as “shameful,” arguing that selecting someone from the party’s “database” undermines the EC’s independence.
Other voices, including NPP communicator Kwesi Botchwey Jr and political scientist Dr Asah-Asante, have questioned whether individuals with clear partisan backgrounds can be expected to act neutrally in an institution that the Constitution (Article 46) requires to operate free from the direction or control of any person or authority.
President Mahama, at the swearing-in, charged the new deputies to uphold strict impartiality, stating that neither he, his government, nor the NDC should receive preferential treatment.
Defenders of the appointments, including NDC officials, have insisted that professional competence is the key criterion and pointed to similar controversies under previous administrations.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
