Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), an independent and non-partisan organization, has called for the immediate resignation of the two new officers of the Electoral Commission.
At a presser on Wednesday, April 5, the non-partisan organization, noted that over the past few months, there have been serious allegations and serious questions raised about the credibility of Ghana’s electoral body.
They insist that without the necessary action to remove the new appointees, Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani, the credibility of future elections would be affected.
“We are painfully aware that voluntary and constitutionally grounded revocation of these unfortunate and democratically problematic EC appointments by the President is extremely unlikely. However, nothing stops the affected appointees, namely Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Tijani from voluntarily and honorably resigning from the EC.
“This will be in the supreme interest of our country’s continued democratic progress, election peace, and credibility and indeed overall national interest,” a leading member of CODEO, Rev. Dr. Fred Degbey said.
The two officers were appointed by President Akufo-Addo to the board of the Electoral Commission in March 2023.
The appointment of the two has met stiff opposition from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other civil society organizations. The argument is that the two new officials have deep ties with the NPP.
Dr. Appiahene, for instance, has social media posts that reveal that he is an NPP activist in the Bono Region. He has also featured prominently on radio talk shows where he is introduced as an NPP activist.
In the case of Hajia Tijani, she is said to be married to one Sheikh TB Damba who is a leading member of the NPP, and formerly the second National Vice Chair of the party. She is also the sister to Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah, who is currently the CEO of MASLOC.