The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) is demanding the immediate resignation of Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani as members of the Electoral Commission (EC).
The two who were recently appointed by President Akufo-Addo to the electoral management body have been described by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as known affiliates of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
CODEO at a news conference on Wednesday said these appointments have the tendency to make the EC look partisan and affect its credibility in future elections.
Reading the address on behalf of CODEO, Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe suggested that the two newly appointed EC members to resign voluntarily.
“We are painfully aware that voluntary and constitutionally grounded revocation of this unfortunate and democratically problematic EC appointment by the President is extremely unlikely.
“However nothing stops the affected appointees namely Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani from voluntarily and honourably resigning from membership of the EC,” he said.
The duo’s resignation, in his view, will “be in the supreme interest of our country’s continual democratic progress, election peace and credibility and indeed, the overall national interest.”
According to him, although the two meet the generic benchmark qualification stipulated in Article 44 (1), “We believe strongly that having regard to the independent and non-partisan nature of our Electoral Commission and its mandate, the spirit of the constitution demands far more in the way of ones suitability to be a member of the EC.”
As a result, CODEO “accordingly called on Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani to do the honorable thing and resign.”
