Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has issued a strong call for the removal of the Electoral Commission’s (EC) top leadership, accusing them of gross mismanagement and failing to ensure credible elections in Ghana.
“There has to be a change… The three top leadership must all go. They have managed the commission so badly,” he said during an interview on Joy News on Wednesday, June 25.
Asiedu Nketia pointed to the unresolved parliamentary election in Ablekuma North as a prime example of the EC’s institutional failures. He argued that the electoral process should not result in a stalemate, especially when there are no provisions in Ghana’s laws for such an outcome.
“You cannot still be having an election that will go into a stalemate. There is no anticipation of any stalemate in our laws unless people don’t want to do their work well… It’s a clear case of negligence or inability to perform its functions,” he noted.
He also recalled the disenfranchisement of the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lolobi, and Likpe (SALL) constituency during the 2020 elections, describing it as the beginning of a worrying trend under the current EC Chair, Jean Mensa.
“Six months after the election, and we still don’t have an elected MP. That must tell you something is wrong,” he said.
Asiedu Nketia maintained that since Jean Mensa and her team assumed control of the Commission, every major election has faced significant challenges. He referenced issues in SALL, the unresolved Ablekuma North seat, and the controversy surrounding the Ayawaso West by-election as evidence of persistent mismanagement.
“This commission, as presently constituted, took over the reins of the Electoral Commission, and they have never done a satisfactory election… First was SALL. A whole constituency went unrepresented for four years. Now, Ablekuma North. And the Ayawaso West by-election? Everything has been messed up,” he said.
Calling for comprehensive reform, Asiedu Nketia emphasized the need to restructure the EC to restore its credibility and constitutional integrity.
“Resetting the EC means bringing it back to an institution that is fit for purpose. The way it is existing now, it is not fit for purpose.”
He ended with a sharp critique of the government’s continued support for the current leadership, insisting it was time for new stewardship at the Electoral Commission.
