The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has called on Emelia Affi Agbenyo to resign as Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) over her publicly documented political engagement with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 general election campaign.
In a statement dated October 15, 2026, CODEO expressed strong disapproval of Ms. Agbenyo’s appointment and swearing-in on October 12, arguing that her past political activities could undermine public confidence in the independence and impartiality of the Electoral Commission.
The coalition also urged President John Dramani Mahama to demonstrate consistency with his previous calls for reforms to the appointment process and asked the government to introduce measures to strengthen the independence of the country’s electoral management body.
Although CODEO acknowledged the President’s constitutional authority to appoint members of the Electoral Commission, it maintained that the credibility of the institution depended not only on the neutrality of its commissioners but also on the public’s confidence in their impartiality.
The coalition stressed that its concerns were not about Ms. Agbenyo’s professional qualifications or technical competence, but about the perception of partisan influence within an institution expected to operate independently of political parties.
CODEO cites Agbenyo’s NDC campaign activities
CODEO cited several instances of Ms. Agbenyo’s political engagement with the NDC during the 2024 general election campaign as grounds for its concerns.
According to the coalition, the NDC announced her in August 2024 as one of its sectoral spokespersons for the party’s election manifesto under the governance portfolio. Her LinkedIn profile also reportedly identified her as a spokesperson for the Governance Sector during the NDC campaign.
The statement further cited social media posts attributed to Ms. Agbenyo during the campaign period.
On September 20, 2024, she reportedly shared a video featuring then NDC presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama, accompanied by the party’s campaign song, Asempa by NACEE, and the hashtags #a_democracy_to_salvage and #voteforchange2024.
CODEO also referred to a post dated October 31, 2024, in which Ms. Agbenyo shared a photograph of Mr. Mahama with the caption: “To salvage our democracy, to restore good governance, reset our nation on the path of thriving democracy.”
The post reportedly included the hashtags #voteJM2024 and #voteforchange2024.
The coalition further cited a December 2, 2024, post on her X account in which she stated: “I will be voting against a government that ridiculed the pains of the people. Imposing a nuisance levy on citizens is not a thing to celebrate. Governance is no joke, citizens are not your enemies.”
The post included the hashtags #salvageourdemocracy, #voteforchange2024, #VoteJohnMahama2024 and #EndTyranny.
CODEO argued that the documented activities raised questions about the public perception of Ms. Agbenyo’s neutrality in her new role as a senior official of the Electoral Commission.
CODEO renews call for reforms to EC appointments
The coalition said its concerns over the appointment of Electoral Commission officials were consistent with its longstanding position that the selection process should be more consultative, transparent and capable of attracting broad public confidence.
It recalled making similar calls during the appointments of Charlotte Osei in 2014 and Jean Mensa, Dr. Bossman Asare and Samuel Tetteh in 2018. According to CODEO, the concerns were not adequately addressed by the respective appointing presidents.
The coalition also recalled its 2023 call, alongside the STAR-Ghana Foundation and Civic Forum Initiative, for the resignation of Dr. Peter Appiahene over concerns about his alleged partisan affiliation with the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
CODEO noted that the appointment generated criticism from several groups, including the NDC, and that then opposition leader John Dramani Mahama called for urgent reforms to the appointment process.
The coalition said the appointment of another commissioner whose political activities have raised questions about impartiality highlights weaknesses in the existing constitutional arrangements.
It also questioned the role of the Council of State, which advises the President on appointments to the Electoral Commission under Article 70(2) of the 1992 Constitution.
CODEO argued that the Council of State should establish transparent procedures through which citizens can assess how it performs its constitutional responsibilities, particularly in relation to appointments to independent institutions.
The coalition warned that repeated controversies over the political affiliations of Electoral Commission officials could further undermine public trust in the institution.
It cited Afrobarometer findings, which it said showed that citizen trust in the Electoral Commission reached its lowest levels in 2024.
CODEO challenges Mahama to honour previous reform position
CODEO also referred to comments made by President Mahama in March 2023, when he criticised the appointment of individuals he described as “known party activists” to the Electoral Commission.
At the time, according to the coalition, Mr. Mahama called for an amendment to Article 43(2) of the Constitution to require parliamentary approval for new Electoral Commission commissioners and expressed support for reforms to the appointment process.
CODEO said the President’s previous position was relevant to the current controversy and urged him to apply the same principles under his administration.
It argued that safeguards against actual or perceived partisan influence should apply regardless of which political party is in power.
“The credibility of electoral institutions demands that the same standards be upheld regardless of which political party holds power,” the coalition stated in its appeal for consistent application of the principles previously advocated by the President.
CODEO maintained that electoral independence must be protected through both constitutional safeguards and the conduct of political leaders.
Four key demands
In response to the controversy, CODEO outlined four principal demands.
First, it called on Ms. Agbenyo to resign as Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission in the interest of protecting public confidence in the institution’s impartiality and credibility.
Second, it urged President Mahama to demonstrate consistency with his previous position by encouraging Ms. Agbenyo to resign.
Third, the coalition called on the government to pursue reforms that would make future appointments to the Electoral Commission transparent, merit-based and acceptable across the political divide.
Finally, it urged the Council of State to establish processes that would allow citizens to obtain information about how it carries out its constitutional responsibilities.
The coalition said these measures were necessary to strengthen accountability and prevent recurring disputes over the political affiliations of officials appointed to the electoral management body.
Coalition urges government to reconsider constitutional reform proposals
CODEO also called on the government to reconsider its position on proposals to reform the appointment process for Electoral Commission leadership.
It noted that the Constitutional Review Committee had recommended an open, competitive and merit-based selection process involving a reformed Council of State, the Public Services Commission and prior parliamentary approval.
However, according to CODEO, the government’s position paper rejected the proposed changes to the existing appointment arrangements, while indicating that the President could adopt transparent and merit-based procedures.
The coalition urged the government to revisit the recommendations and introduce measures that would provide independent scrutiny, clear selection criteria and meaningful parliamentary oversight.
It argued that such safeguards would help address concerns about partisan influence before appointments are finalised, rather than waiting for controversies to emerge after officials have assumed office.
CODEO said the controversy surrounding Ms. Agbenyo’s appointment demonstrated the urgency of reforming the process to protect the Electoral Commission’s institutional credibility.
The coalition reiterated that Ghana’s electoral management body must be independent not only in its constitutional mandate but also in the eyes of the public.
CODEO is an independent, non-partisan network of civil society organisations, faith-based groups and professional bodies established in 2000 under the auspices of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana).
The coalition mobilises citizens to observe elections and supports efforts to promote transparent, free, fair and peaceful electoral processes in Ghana.
