A formal petition has been submitted to President John Mahama, urging the dismissal of Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa, along with her deputies Samuel Tetteh, Dr. Bossman Eric Asare, and commission member Dr. Peter Appiahene.
The petition, filed on January 27, accuses the officials of constitutional breaches, incompetence, and actions undermining the Commission’s impartiality.
The petitioner, identified as being from the Volta Region, alleges violations of fundamental rights under Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution, pointing to the disenfranchisement of voters in the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe, and Lolobi (SALL) areas during the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The exclusion of these voters, the petition claims, denied them parliamentary representation, potentially influencing the balance of power in a closely divided Parliament.
“For over four years, the people of SALL were deprived of their constitutional right to representation, leaving them without a voice in the legislative process. Their vote could have shifted the parliamentary majority in favor of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC),” the petitioner stated.
The document also accuses Jean Mensa and her team of poor electoral management during the 2020 elections, citing errors in the presidential election results and controversial last-minute decisions, including changes to electoral arrangements tied to the creation of the Guan District.
Additionally, the petition highlights concerns over the impartiality of some EC members. Dr. Bossman Asare is accused of making partisan comments on social media before his appointment, raising questions about his neutrality. Dr. Peter Appiahene is also implicated in allegations of overt partisanship, which the petitioner argues have eroded public confidence in the Commission.
This latest petition calls on President Mahama to invoke Article 146 of the Constitution to initiate a formal inquiry into the conduct of the EC leadership and restore public trust in the electoral process.
Jean Mensa, who was appointed EC Chairperson in July 2018 after her predecessor Charlotte Osei was removed, has overseen two major elections during her tenure. She has faced previous petitions, including one from the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) in 2020 and another from the Fix the Country Movement in 2022, but both were dismissed.
The presidency is yet to comment on the recent petition, which is supported by detailed exhibits and evidence, according to the petitioner. The case reignites debates over the independence and credibility of the Electoral Commission in Ghana.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Gumedzo Isaac Acheampong
