EC nominations: Obiri Boahen slams ‘disingenuous’ Mahama

A Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has descended heavily on former president John Dramani Mahama over comments the latter made on the nominations of four commissioners to the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC). President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday nominated Jean Adukwei Mensa, Samuel Tettey, Dr Eric Bossman Asare and Adwoa Asuama Abrefa onto the Commission. Mrs Mensa, the Executive Director of policy think Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), was nominated Chief Executive Officer of the Commission to replace Charlotte Osei. While Mr Tettey, who is the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, and Dr Asare, who is the Head of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, will serve as deputies, Ms Abrefa will serve as a member of the seven-member Commission. But former president Mahama on Tuesday stated that recent happenings at the EC does not bode well for the democratic disposition of the country. He described the removal of Charlotte Osei, Georgina Opoku Amankwaah as well as Dr Amadu Sulley as “regrettable”. READ: Appointment of new EC regrettable – Mahama But speaking on 3FM’s News Hour on Tuesday, Nana Obiri Boahen said as a lawyer he can only describe Mr Mahama’s opinion as “misconceived, disingenuous and unacceptable”. “It is unfortunate and regrettable.” He said all the legal processes have been followed since a petition was brought before President Akufo-Addo by some staff of the EC. He argued that there has not been any instance the president had sidestepped the 1992 Constitution. Therefore, it comes as a surprise to him for someone to describe the recent events as regrettable. “That opinion is misconceived, disingenuous and unacceptable and totally wrong.” ‘Untenable’ There have been concerns that there was no wide consultation in the nomination of Mrs Mensa as the Chair of the Commission. Though President Akufo-Addo is said to have written to the Council of State on July 19, 2018 for advice, many believe other stakeholders could have been involved in the decision-making. “Once again that position is untenable,” Obiri Boahen thundered. He said all those persons are talking morality but legally there is nothing wrong with the president has done. By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana Follow @kwame_amoh]]>