General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) Nana Yaa Jantuah has said the situation at the Electoral Commission where the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has boycotted the Interparty Advisory Committee (IPAC), is already volatile therefore the President should not be acting in ways that deepen the situation.
She said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed a politically-exposed person to the Commission, an action that is creating disaffection for the elections management body.
Speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 Thursday, March 23, she said “we are saying that you have appointed somebody with a political colour to an independent commission where the situation in that commission is already volatile because the NDC which is one of the opposition parties in the nation has even decided not to attend IPAC, which is problematic. now you are adding on.”
But a member of the communications team of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Vera Wiredu said it was not President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP who hand-picked the individuals that have been appointed o the commission.
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.
Also speaking on the Big Issue 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.”
Leading members of the NDC including the Member of Parliament for Buem, Kofi Adams are accusing 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.
