President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, October 12, 2026, swore in Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah as Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission (EC), filling the two deputy chair positions left vacant earlier this year.
The ceremony took place at the Jubilee House in Accra, according to MyJoyOnline. The President used the occasion to warn the new deputies that their loyalty must be to the Republic, not to any party or government.
The appointments follow the resignation of Dr Bossman Eric Asare, who oversaw Corporate Affairs, effective July 31, 2026, to return to academia at the University of Ghana. The second vacancy arose when Samuel Tettey, the Deputy Chairperson in charge of Operations, reached the mandatory retirement age.
Reports on the swearing-in did not state which portfolio each of the new deputies will take up.
Mahama swears in new EC Deputy Chairpersons
Addressing the two officials, President Mahama said: “Your duty is to the Republic of Ghana and its people.”
He added that “the authority that accompanies your office must always be exercised with fairness, restraint and fidelity to the law,” according to Citi Newsroom.
“As President, I expect no preferential treatment from the Electoral Commission for myself, my party, or my government,” he said.
“Uphold what is right even when it is inconvenient” – Mahama to EC deputies
The President urged the deputies to show courage in their work. “You must have the courage to uphold what is right even when it is inconvenient for those in power,” he said.
According to 3News, he also charged them to “ensure that every eligible citizen can participate in our electoral process.”
Mahama said he expects the Commission to apply the same standards to all political actors, including his own government and the governing party, and stressed that its decisions must be guided by the national interest rather than political considerations.
Who is Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, new EC Deputy Chair?
Dr Asamoah is a lawyer, chartered accountant and certified economist who lectures law at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He has more than 17 years of experience across electoral administration, public service, legal practice and academia.
He is not new to the EC. He previously served the Commission as Director of Finance, Director of the Training Centre and Head of Audit.
He worked on the 2012 and 2016 general elections, the 2010 and 2015 district-level elections, and the 2019 referendum on the creation of six new regions. According to his professional profile, he developed the Election Results Management System used to declare the 2016 presidential results after the Electronic Results Transmission System reportedly broke down.
His qualifications include:
- PhD in Political Economy and Diplomacy (a comparative study of electoral administration and conflict resolution in Ghana and Kenya)
- LLM in Commercial and Corporate Law (UK)
- Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- First-class BSc in Accounting
- Postgraduate diplomas in International Business Law and Business Administration
He is also an adjunct lecturer at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and a facilitator of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission Course.
Who is Emelia Afi Agbenyo?
Emelia Afi Agbenyo is the Deputy Director of Operations at the Ghana TVET Service. Her work has covered technical and vocational education and development planning.
She has previously served as a Commissioner at the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and has experience in international development, according to GBC.
President Mahama highlighted her work on gender and disability inclusion and on creating opportunities for vulnerable groups, linking that experience to wider participation in elections.
EC leadership changes at a glance
- Dr Bossman Eric Asare (Deputy Chair, Corporate Affairs) – resigned effective July 31, 2026
- Samuel Tettey (Deputy Chair, Operations) – exited on reaching mandatory retirement age
- Emelia Afi Agbenyo – sworn in as Deputy Chairperson, October 12, 2026
- Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah – sworn in as Deputy Chairperson, October 12, 2026
The leadership of the Commission has been under public scrutiny for some time; GhanaTrends earlier reported on petitions seeking the removal of the EC Chair and her deputies.
What the new EC deputies mean for voters and political parties
With both deputy chair seats filled, the Commission’s top leadership is back at full strength. The deputies are part of the leadership that oversees elections and referendums in Ghana.
For political parties and voters, the President’s public demand for impartiality sets a clear standard against which the Commission’s conduct can be judged. Dr Asamoah’s past EC roles in finance, training and audit also mean one of the new deputies arrives with direct knowledge of the Commission’s internal systems.
What happens next
The two deputies are expected to take up their duties at the Commission. The EC is yet to announce which of them will handle Operations and which will handle Corporate Affairs.
The President told the pair to draw on their complementary professional backgrounds to strengthen the Commission’s work.
Key details at a glance
- Who: Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah
- Position: Deputy Chairpersons, Electoral Commission of Ghana
- Sworn in by: President John Dramani Mahama
- Date: Monday, October 12, 2026, at the Jubilee House
- Vacancies filled: Dr Bossman Asare (resigned July 31, 2026) and Samuel Tettey (retired)
- Asamoah’s past EC roles: Director of Finance, Director of the Training Centre, Head of Audit
- Agbenyo’s current role: Deputy Director of Operations, Ghana TVET Service
FAQs
Who are the new Deputy EC Chairpersons in Ghana?
Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah were sworn in as Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission by President Mahama on October 12, 2026.
Who did the new EC deputies replace?
They fill vacancies left by Dr Bossman Eric Asare, who resigned effective July 31, 2026, and Samuel Tettey, who reached the mandatory retirement age.
What did Mahama tell the new EC Deputy Chairs?
He told them their duty is to Ghana and its people and said he expects no preferential treatment from the EC for himself, his party or his government.
The swearing-in of Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah restores the Electoral Commission’s leadership to full strength after months of vacancies, with President Mahama publicly demanding that the new deputies serve without fear or favour, including towards his own government.
