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Sophia Akuffo, the former Chief Justice of Ghana, has spoken out about the recent appointments of three new members to the country’s Electoral Commission (EC) by President Nana Akufo-Addo. She has highlighted the potential for conflict of interest to arise and stated that when appointing individuals to public sector roles, the issue should be considered.
Akuffo also emphasized that because the EC is responsible for matters concerning national elections, appointments must not be made in a way that disadvantages any political party.
She explained that conflict of interest does not need to be actual, but can also be potential and that public perception plays a significant role in ensuring the right actions are taken in public service.
The appointment of Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng, Salima Ahmed Tijani, and Dr Peter Appiahene to the EC on March 20 has been criticized by some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other civil society organizations (CSOs).
Concerns have been raised that two of the three candidates have affiliations with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), potentially making the EC look partisan and affecting its credibility in future elections.
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has demanded the immediate resignation of Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, stating that it would be in the best interests of the country’s democratic progress, election peace, credibility, and overall national interest.
CODEO’s Rev. Dr Fred Deegbe, who represented the group in a press briefing, has urged the two newly appointed EC members to resign voluntarily.