NDC calls for two newly appointed EC members’ removal …But EC insists it’s constitutional

The National Democrat­ic Congress (NDC) has called for the removal of two newly appointed members of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani due to their affiliation with the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The two and Reverend Akua Ofori Boateng were appointed to the Commission last month following the retire­ment of three members of the Electoral Management Board and have since been sworn in by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The party stated that Dr Appiahene had held several positions in the NPP such as member of the 2022 Bono Regional Election Committee, Bono Regional Information Technology Director for Elec­tion 2020, and Bono Regional D-day Coordinator for Election 2020 all for the NPP.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the National Chairman of the NDC, Asiedu Nketia and copied to the Ghana­ian Times yesterday.

But DrSerebourQuaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services ofEC,

said the Commission was ready to work with anyone appointed to the Board irrespective of their political affiliation.

He noted that ECdid not have any problem with the appoint­ment and indicated that those who hadissues with such appointment could challenge it in court.

“The Constitution mandates the President to appoint and if anyone thinks the President has erred, he or she can challenge him through appropriate channel,’’ DrQuaicoe explained and insisted that the appointment of politically exposed persons would not affect the work of the EC.

The statement said on the appointment of Hajia Tijani, independent background checks by the NDCrevealed she was a staunch member of the NPP since her family had deep ties with the party, as she was married to Sheikh T.B. Damba, the former Second National Vice Chairman of the NPP and Ghana’s immediate-past Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, from 2017 to 2021.

It said her mother, Hajia Samata Bukari was the first female Vice Chairperson of NPP in the Northern Region while her sister, HajiaAbibataZakariah is the Chief Executive Officer of the Microf­inance and Loans Centre (MAS­LOC), and former contestant of the party in the 2020 parliamenta­ry primaries in the Yendi Constit­uency.

The statement noted that in light of the evidence, Hajia Salima and Dr Appiahene evidently and perceptibly bore partisan coloura­tion which vitiated any hope of neutrality and impartiality required of a member of EC.

According to DrSerebour, the appointment of President Akufo-Addo or former President Mahama as Chairman ofthe EC could not change any electoral results.

However, he pointed out that what they could do was to imple­ment policies and issues so that rigging of elections could not occur.

BY TIMES REPORTER