A member of the communications team of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Vera Wiredu has said it was not President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP who hand-picked the individuals that have been appointed to the Electoral Commission (EC).
She said it was the Council of State that did the selection after extensive consultation and presented the names of the individuals to the President for the approval.
Speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 Thursday, March 23, she said “The President is in his office, the Council of State did their selection, did their findings, did their consultations extensively, and brought the names to him, it was not NPP party that brought these individuals, it was not the president that hand-picked these individuals but the Council of State.
“We have astute individuals serving on the council, we have chiefs, we have NDC people, and even Honorable ET Mensah is on it. And so let us not create a wrong impression, let us not confuse our viewers and Ghanaians into believing that it is His Excellency Nana Addo or the NPP party doing something out of the ordinary.”
Her comments come after leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) including the Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of appointing known activists of NPP to sensitive positions in the country such as the EC.
Mr Kofi Adams stated on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Tuesday, March 21 that one of the newly-appointed persons to the EC, Dr Peter Appiahene was a known NPP activist who is a member of the communications team of the party in the Bono Region.
“Clearly, there is everything wrong with the persons the president has appointed. The President has appointed known activists of the NPP,” he said.
“President Akufo-Addo has been appointing persons known to be NPP activists, we saw the Bossman Asares and the Jean Mensas.
“Dr Peter Appiahene is known NPP activist in the Bono Region, he is a member of the NPP communications team in the Bono region,” he added.
Mr Akufo-Addo on Monday, March 20 swore in three new members of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC).
The three new members – Dr Peter Appiahene, Madam Salima Ahmed Tijani and Reverend Akua Ofori Boateng – were sworn in at a short ceremony at the Jubilee House.
Their appointment comes 21 months to the next major elections.
The President said “I have always fought for and advocated for a credible electoral process in Ghana. In emphasizing the importance of the credibility of elections, it must be pointed out that the counting, collation and declaration of results cannot and should not be more important than the sacred God-given right of the citizen casting his or her ballot.
“I have said it before and I will repeat it, elections are about those who cast their vote, not those who count, not those who supervise, not those who transmit and not those who declare. The heart of the democratic process is giving effect to the choices made by those who cast the votes.”
