Ghana’s political drama just got a fresh twist, and the Electoral Commission is right at the centre of it.
NPP Director of Communications Dennis Miracles Aboagye is not happy with the appointment of Emilia Afi Agbenyo as a Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. Speaking on radio, he argued that she is a known NDC member with clear party ties and therefore has no business sitting on an independent body that oversees the country’s elections. In his view, the appointment raises serious questions about neutrality.
The comments have sparked immediate pushback. President Mahama, while swearing in the new EC deputies, took a direct swipe at Aboagye, asking whether the NPP communicator is “coming from Afghanistan or Somalia” and reminding him that previous commissioners appointed under the last administration also had political backgrounds. The exchange has turned what should have been a routine institutional appointment into another round of the familiar NPP-NDC back-and-forth.
Social media is already full of the usual reactions. Some supporters of the NPP are backing Aboagye and saying the EC must remain completely free of party influence. Others are pointing out that both major parties have a history of appointing people with political connections and that the outrage is selective. A few are simply enjoying the shade, especially Mahama’s sharp response.
What makes this particular spat interesting is the timing. With the next election cycle already on people’s minds, every new face at the Electoral Commission is being examined under a microscope. Aboagye’s public criticism and the president’s equally public clapback have ensured that this appointment will not quietly fade into the background.
For now the new deputy chairs are sworn in, the statements are out, and Ghanaians are once again watching two sides of the political divide trade accusations. Whether the controversy dies down or grows into a bigger institutional fight remains to be seen, but the entertainment value is already high.
