The Electoral Commission (EC) has refuted former President John Mahama’s allegations that it employed New Patriotic Party members as returning and deputy returning officers for the 2024 election in December.
The EC stated that the recruitment process for these roles was not only public but also conducted openly, fairly, and transparently.
According to a press statement, the Commission published a vacancy announcement in the Daily Graphic on February 5, 2024, and received a total of 20,561 applications.
“An in-house Committee was established to shortlist suitable applicants to be interviewed. For the information of the general public, all successful applicants at the interview have no less than 8 years of working experience with the Commission as Temporal Election Officials.”
“The allegation by former President Mahama that Ministers and DCEs were asked “to write the names of party apparatchiks and present them so that they would be appointed as the returning officers” IS NOT TRUE. The Commission rejects this unfounded allegation coming from the former President,” the statement read.
Following former President John Mahama’s interview at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he accused the government of politicizing the Electoral Commission, the EC has called on all stakeholders to communicate and disseminate information accurately and responsibly in this election year.
“As a Commission, we reaffirm our commitment to spearheading transparent, credible, and fair elections – upholding the highest standards of integrity as we commit to protecting the sanctity of Ghana’s electoral process.”