Former UN Governance Advisor Prof. Baffour Agyeman-Duah has raised concerns about the lingering effects of former Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Charlotte Osei’s dismissal, describing it as a decision that continues to shape the public’s perception of the Commission.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express program on Tuesday, Agyeman-Duah remarked that this action set a challenging precedent for the institution’s credibility and has contributed to a persistent lack of public trust.
His comments coincide with fresh concerns about the EC’s transparency following recent Afrobarometer findings, which show a sharp drop in trust ahead of the 2024 elections.
With just 40 days until the December 7 vote, the survey revealed that only 28% of Ghanaians now trust the EC, down from a 59% confidence rate recorded in 2012. Last year, trust stood at 33%, but this figure has further declined in 2023.
The Afrobarometer report also indicates a growing perception of corruption within the EC, which has cemented its position as one of the least trusted public institutions in Ghana.
This development is a cause of concern for Prof. Agyeman-Duah.
Recalling the 2016 election campaign, Prof. Agyeman-Duah stated, “The opposition then said that if they won the elections, they were going to displace her. Truly, the President came in, and within three years, that came to pass.”
He reflected on the simplicity of the removal process: “A single individual wrote the petition to the President, who simply acted as a conveyor, sending it to the Chief Justice, who then made the decision.”
This swift removal, he argued, was unusual and tainted the public’s view of the EC’s independence.
For Prof. Agyeman-Duah, the incident fostered a narrative that the EC could be influenced by political interests.
“In my view, that event has really tarnished the Electoral Commission’s image,” he stated.
Current EC officials, he added, “are in a tough position because of the circumstances under which they were appointed, which created doubt about their credibility.”
The move, he argues, sustained and emboldened opposition criticism, creating a cycle of mistrust that remains an obstacle for the EC.