‘We voted for a reset, not equalization’ – Senyo Hosi on EC appointments

Senyo Hosi, the leader of the One Ghana Movement and a policy analyst, expressed disappointment in President John Dramani Mahama's recent appointments for Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission (EC). The appointments were made by President Mahama, who chose Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah for the positions.

Agbenyo had previously been the NDC's manifesto spokesperson and Director of Legal Affairs for the party’s Women’s Wing. The NPP has criticized the appointments, calling for them to be withdrawn. Kwakye Ofosu, the NPP's spokesman, argued that the appointments were meant to balance the state institutions, which he perceived as having been unevenly constituted under the previous administration.

Hosi's criticism was not focused on Agbenyo's professional abilities but rather on the need to protect the EC's independence and public confidence in its neutrality. He stressed that the concern was not about her competence but rather about ensuring the independence of the electoral commission, which he believes must be evident in both the law and the institution's perception by the public.

Hosi rejected the notion that a "reset" of state institutions would involve balancing the structure, as he believed citizens had voted for a reset and not for equalization or tilting. He urged the government to consider how the appointments might affect confidence in the electoral commission, emphasizing that the administration's commitment to governance reform made his disappointment particularly significant.