A fresh row has erupted over the Electoral Commission (EC) leadership, with a member of the opposition New Patriotic Party’s legal team warning that President John Dramani Mahama’s latest appointment reflects a troubling pattern of poor judgment.
Ross Owusu, speaking on TV3 on Saturday, October 17, took aim at the President’s decision to name Emelia Agbenyo as Deputy Chairperson of the EC. He called the move unfortunate and went further, claiming that the errors of Mahama’s current term are already proving more serious than anything that marked his first stint in office.
Owusu’s central argument was that Mahama, having governed before, has the advantage of hindsight that few leaders enjoy. In his view, the President should have used that experience as a compass, steering clear of old pitfalls instead of repeating them in a more damaging form.
He suggested a more patient approach would have served the country better. Rather than rushing to fill the position, Owusu said, the President could have waited and settled on a more suitable appointment at a more appropriate time.
Notably, the NPP lawyer was careful about where he drew the line. He stated plainly that Madam Agbenyo’s qualifications were not being challenged, and he acknowledged that the Constitution gives the President the authority to appoint a Deputy EC Chair.
His objection, he explained, was about prudence rather than legality. Decisions touching an institution as sensitive as the Electoral Commission, he argued, demand a measure of common sense, and a leader must weigh how an appointment will be perceived, not just whether it is permissible. He described the choice as undoubtedly a bad move given the sensitivity of the office.
Why the EC is a lightning rod
The electoral body sits at the heart of Ghana’s democratic credibility. Because it organises the polls that decide who governs, any perception that its leadership leans toward the ruling party can quickly erode public trust, regardless of the individual’s competence. That is the backdrop against which Owusu’s remarks land, adding to a wider conversation about whether the Commission’s independence is being adequately protected.
NPP Intentionally Discredited Mahama’s First Term—Solomon Owusu
Mahama led Ghana from 2012 to 2017 and returned to the presidency in January 2025 after winning the December 2024 general election. His comeback has placed him under a particular kind of scrutiny: critics now measure his second-term decisions not only against campaign promises but against his own record the first time around. Owusu’s comparison is a pointed example of that approach.
The comments are likely to stir further debate among political commentators and supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), who may push back on the characterisation. More broadly, they feed into the continuing national discussion about governance, accountability and whether the administration is living up to the expectations of Ghanaians, with the Agbenyo appointment likely to remain a focal point of that conversation.