Criticism of President John Dramani Mahama’s appointment of Emelia Afi Agbenyo as a Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) widened this weekend, with One Ghana Movement convenor Senyo Hosi, lawyer Martin Kpebu and Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa all questioning how the appointment affects public confidence in the Commission’s neutrality, six days after she was sworn in.
Speaking on TV3, Mr Hosi described the appointment as one of the biggest disappointments of the Mahama administration, telling Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu: “Felix, we voted for a reset. We didn’t vote for equalization.”
The controversy centres on Ms Agbenyo’s past role with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), where she served as a governance spokesperson during preparations for the party’s 2024 manifesto. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has already demanded that the President withdraw the appointment.
President Mahama swore in Ms Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah as Deputy Chairpersons of the EC on Monday, October 12, 2026. GhanaTrends reported the swearing-in of the two EC deputy chairs at the time.
Who is Emelia Agbenyo, the new EC Deputy Chairperson?
According to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Ms Agbenyo works with the Ghana TVET Service and has a background in technical and vocational education and development planning.
She has also served as a Commissioner at the National Development Planning Commission and has international development experience.
Her ties to the NDC include serving as the party’s governance sector spokesperson in the lead-up to the 2024 general election. MyJoyOnline also reports that she served as Director of Legal Affairs for the party’s Women’s Wing.
EC deputy appointments fill two vacancies
The two appointments filled vacancies created by the departure of two deputies who served under EC Chairperson Jean Mensa.
- Dr Bossman Eric Asare (Deputy Chair, Corporate Affairs) – resigned effective July 31, 2026, to return to academia at the University of Ghana
- Samuel Tettey (Deputy Chair, Operations) – left after reaching the compulsory retirement age
- Emelia Afi Agbenyo – sworn in as Deputy Chairperson on October 12, 2026
- Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah – KNUST law lecturer, lawyer and chartered accountant, previously EC Director of Finance, sworn in on October 12, 2026
At the swearing-in, President Mahama urged the appointees to work fairly and impartially and stressed that the EC must not favour any political party, including the governing party.
Senyo Hosi: “We voted for a reset, not equalization”
Mr Hosi said his objection was about the EC’s perceived independence, not Ms Agbenyo’s ability. “The woman’s competence is not the problem,” he said.
Citing Article 46 of the Constitution on the independence of the Commission, he argued that independence must be visible and is “not just a legal position.”
He was responding to Mr Kwakye Ofosu’s argument that a reset could involve balancing state institutions the government believes were unevenly constituted under the previous administration.
Martin Kpebu calls Agbenyo appointment a “reset in reverse”
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu, speaking on TV3’s The Key Points on October 17, said he was shocked by the decision.
“This one is a reset in reverse; that is not the legacy,” he said, adding: “We made all the noise against Akufo-Addo’s appointment.”
Mr Kpebu also said he was not sure he would continue to support the President if such appointments continued.
Ablakwa: “The optics don’t look good”
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of the Mahama government, also weighed in on JoyNews’ Newsfile on October 17.
“She is a woman of integrity, but the optics don’t look good,” he said. “I have always maintained that let us have very neutral, independent architects appointed to the EC.”
NPP demands withdrawal of EC appointment
In a statement dated October 13 and signed by National Communications Director Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the NPP asked the President to rescind Ms Agbenyo’s appointment, citing videos it said showed her campaigning for the NDC.
The party warned that doubts over the EC’s neutrality could cast suspicion on voter registration, boundary decisions and the declaration of results. It also recalled President Mahama’s March 2023 call for EC appointments to require parliamentary approval.
NDC defends Agbenyo’s appointment
NDC Communications Team member Hamza Suhuyini, speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, said the appointment “was well calculated and well reasoned.”
“Those of us in the NDC, we are not denying the partisan affiliation of Madam Affi,” he said, adding that she went through several interviews, including appearing before the Council of State.
What the EC appointment row means for voters
The EC runs voter registration, sets electoral boundaries and declares election results, so questions about its neutrality go to the heart of public trust in future elections.
Critics on both sides of the political divide say perception matters as much as law, while the government maintains the appointment followed due process.
What happens next for the Electoral Commission
There has been no indication from the Presidency that the appointment will be withdrawn. Mr Kwakye Ofosu has also said President Mahama will not remove EC Chairperson Jean Mensa without established grounds.
The NPP has said it will use “all lawful means” to protect the integrity of the EC and has urged that the ongoing constitutional review be used to reform how EC members are appointed.
Key details at a glance
- Appointee: Emelia Afi Agbenyo, Deputy Chairperson, Electoral Commission
- Sworn in: Monday, October 12, 2026, alongside Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah
- Controversy: Her past role as NDC governance spokesperson ahead of the 2024 polls
- NPP: Demanded withdrawal in an October 13 statement
- Critics: Senyo Hosi, Martin Kpebu, and Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on “optics”
- Defence: NDC says she went through interviews and Council of State consultation
- Vacancies filled: Seats left by Dr Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey
FAQs
Who is the new deputy EC chairperson in Ghana?
President Mahama swore in Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah as Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission on October 12, 2026.
Why is Emelia Agbenyo’s EC appointment controversial?
Critics point to her past role as an NDC governance spokesperson during the 2024 election period and argue it undermines perceptions of the EC’s neutrality.
Has the NPP asked Mahama to withdraw Agbenyo’s appointment?
Yes. In an October 13 statement, the NPP demanded that the President rescind the appointment and said it would use all lawful means to protect the EC’s integrity.
The row over Emelia Agbenyo’s appointment as EC Deputy Chairperson has drawn criticism from the opposition NPP, civil society voices and even a sitting minister, all centred on the Commission’s perceived independence. With the NDC defending the process and no sign of a reversal from the Presidency, the debate is likely to feed into wider calls to reform how members of the Electoral Commission are appointed.
