Why pipo dey para about party activist wey Ghana President Mahama appoint to kontri electoral commission?

Ghana President John Mahama don swear-in two pipo to di kontri electoral commission.

Dis na afta one of di commissioners bin resign wey di oda one reach im retirement age.

Dr Bossman Asare wey be di deputy chairperson in charge of corporate services tender im resignation for June dis year.

Im say im dey return to academia as lecturer for di University of Ghana.

Samuel Tettey wey be di deputy chairpesin in charge of operations also bin retire.

On Monday 12 October, President John Mahama bin swear-in two new deputy chairpersons.

Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah and Emelia Afi Agbenyo be di new deputy chairpersins.

President Mahama say im expect dem togeda wit di EC chairpersin and odas to do dia work fairly.

"Your duty na to di kontri Ghana and di pipo, you gatz discharge your responsibilities witout favour towards any political party, candidate or govment," di president tok for di swearing-in ceremony.

Im add say "your office dey expected to apply di same standards to all political parties. As president I no dey expect special treatment from di electoral commission for mysef, my party.'

"You gatz work wit courage and uphold wetin dey right even wen e dey convenient for dose wey dey power."

Bifor now, Dr Joseph Kwaku Asamoah bin work as law lecturer for di Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Im don work for di electoral commission for senior positions for di past – im occupy roles like director of finance, director of training and head of di audit department.

Di oda deputy chairpersin Emelia Afi Agbenyo bifor her new role be di deputy director for operations for di Ghana TVET Service.

She bin work for di National Development Planning Commission wey she get expertise for gender issues.

Why pipo dey para about Emelia Afi Agbenyo im appointment

Di opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) bin condemn di appointment of Madam Emelia Afi Agbenyo to di electoral commission.

Dem say di president don appoint im political party activist to di sensitive role of deputy chairpersin for di commission.

Tok-tok pesin for di NPP Denis Miracles Aboagye don accuse di govment of packing di EC wit partisan pipo.

"Dis na shame how low di democracy bin dey sink, dis lady wey dem appoint na NDC pesin, she bin work as personal assistant to Mahama Ayarigah wen im be deputy education minister for di first Mahama presidency," Denis tok local media Joy FM.

Im add say "Emelia Agbenyo bin currently get partisan political appointment bifor di president appoint her to di electoral commission."

Di opposition NPP say dis go affect di perception pipo get of di electoral commission.

BBC News Pidgin bin dig around to find evidence of di work of madam Emelia Afi Agbenyo for di govment party National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of di 2024 elections.

For 2023, Emelia Agbenyo bin work as party campaign tok-tok pesin for governance.

She bin move from media house to anoda dey tok about di NDC campaign manifesto promises and oda tins for di party bifor di elections.

Madam Agbenyo also bin dey selected as one of di reference pipo for media houses wen dem bin wan interview di NDC in terms of governance for di campaign period.

In fact, she bin appear on top oda media platforms as NDC panel member for discussions among odas.

Na so pipo tok say she no be di right pesin to occupy di role of deputy electoral commission sake of she no dey neutral.

Some citizens, analysts and CSOs react

"Wrong na wrong and right na right. Wetin be wrong yesterday no fit be right today," Samuel Nii Narku Dowuona bin write on top im social media.

Im add say "di wrong tin wey Nana Akufo-Addo bin do, no fit be right sake of John Mahama don do di same tin."

Im na one of many pipo wey use dia social media condemn di appointment of Emelia Afi Agbenyo.

Political science lecturer for di University of Ghana Dr Kwame Asah-Asante don raise concern wit dis appointment.

Di lecturer say "If Emelia Afi Agbenyo na NDC sympathiser, den we get ogbonge wahala for our hand as a kontri."

One sabi pesin Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah say for "di sake of di optics, pipo wit political connections for no dey appointed to positions for di electoral commission".

"Anytime dem appoint anybodi to di electoral commission wey di pesin be party activist, na serious wahala be dat. Pipo gatz dey concerned say she be known activist for di govment party."

Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah bin add say "di appointing authority gatz select pipo witout political colours to maintain di neutrality or di perception of non-partisan nature of di electoral commission".

Recent Afrobarometer survey for 2024 bin show say di trust for di electoral commission dey low among di citizens.

One sabi pesin wit di Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD) Dr John Osae-Kwapong say dis wahala no go stop if presidents continue to dey appoint politically-exposed and partisan pipo to independent constitutional bodis like di electoral commission.

"I dey hope say dis new deputy chairpersin wey her appointment don cause controversy be only one out of seven pipo for di electoral commission, I dey hope say she alone no fit change anytin or cause any wahala even if she wan do anytin fishy," im tok local network TV3.

Despite di disappointment from some citizens, CSOs and di opposition party, di govment party bin dey justify di appointment of one of dia own activists to di electoral commission.

Govment tok-tok pesin Felix Kwakye Ofosu say Emelia Afi Agbenyo get track record of gender advocacy and oda development issues for di kontri, na so she dey qualified for di position.

"She be professional wey no go dey partisan, she go do her work fairly, she bin work as gender activist wey she no be politician even though she work wit di NDC for di past," oga Felix Kwakye Ofosu explain.

Current govment party bin protest appointment of party activists to di electoral commission in di past

For 2023, when President Nana Akuf-Addo bin appoint im party IT director and patron of di student wing for di NPP, Dr Peter Appiahene as IT director for di electoral commission, pipo bin raise issues.

Di den opposition party wey now be govment in power bin bash di govment say dem appoint dia party people to di EC wey suppose dey for neutral pipo.

In fact, di NDC at dat time bin petition di council of state to withdraw di appointment of Dr Appiahene and Salima Ahmed Tijani (wey be member of di NPP), to di electoral commission board.

Di NDC even file suit for di Supreme Court against di appointment wey di Center for democratic development (CDD) also ask President Akufo-Addo to withdraw dia appointment.

CDD later ask Dr Appiahene to resign afta di president fail to cancel di appointment.

Many oda pipo bin speak against di appointment of partisan and political party activists to di sensitive place like electoral commission.

But three years afta dat controversy, di new govment don do exactly di same tin wit dis latest appointment of dia party activist to di electoral commission.

For some, dis na di height of hypocrisy, for odas na politics as usual – wia politicians go criticise tins when dem dey opposition and do di exact same tin when dem get power.