Affi Agbenyo’s EC appointment is constitutionally appropriate, but politically, people have the right to remind us – Haruna Iddrisu

Tamale South Member of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, has stated that President John Mahama’s appointment of Emelia Affi Agbenyo as one of the two new Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission is “constitutionally appropriate”, although critics reserve the right to remind the NDC government of its actions in the past against similar appointments.

Mr Iddrisu made this comment on the Joy Super Morning Show on Tuesday, October 13.

The swearing-in of 43-year-old Emelia Affi Agbenyo as one of the two new EC Deputy Chairpersons has stoked controversy following her affiliation with the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The young international development cooperation professional is on record as having served as a spokesperson for the NDC on governance in the 2024 general elections.

Since her appointment, social media has been awash with some posts she made in the past that were deemed political in support of the NDC. A video of her speaking on a media platform as a representative of the NDC has also gone viral.

As a result, many have questioned her independence and neutrality in such a sensitive office. For many of the critics, the NDC has acted hypocritically considering it criticised the then New Patriotic Party administration for similar appointments.

But Mr Iddrisu says while the criticisms are legitimate, the appointment is equally legitimate constitutionally.

“I know Affi very well, and I’ve worked with Affi. Affi, as at yesterday, was working under my Ministry, under TVET Services as Deputy to the Chief Executive. Now, is it constitutionally appropriate? Those are the questions you should ask. Does the President have the power under Article 45 to appoint? Now, one of the things we have not been able to do well is to use legislation to define the parameters of who is eligible. Beyond Article 45, 46, providing that there shall be an Electoral Commission, which shall have two deputies, we must have legislation which then defines a threshold as to who can enter into the Electoral Commission.”

Asked what kind of Electoral Commission he expects, Mr Iddrisu said, “I just want an Electoral Commission that does not endanger democratic ethos and values. Persons who are independent, persons who are courageous, and persons who uphold the values of transparency.

“I share this crude idea with you: anytime people get worried about appointments to the Electoral Commission, you know I’ve supervised the Electoral Commission, even as its Chairman and Vice-Chairman, in terms of their budget for seven years. I’m sure I can say that probably maybe Kyei Mensa-Bonsu, I’ll come next in terms of depth and information on the Electoral Commission and its operation within the annals of Parliament.

The MP and Minister of Education hinted that there would be major reforms to the constitution to address these bottlenecks.

Now, there’s a school of thought, and I’m sure it’s part of the constitutional review process that President Mahama has ignited, and be assured that there will be political and economic reforms led by President Mahama. There will be far-reaching changes; I’m sure when Parliament comes back, the Attorney General, on behalf of President Mahama, will introduce two important bills in Parliament. One, a bill seeking to amend the entrenched provisions of the constitution, and two, a bill seeking to amend the non-entrenched provisions of the constitution.

So, I think that the appointment is constitutionally appropriate, but politically, people have the right to remind us that if you seek equity, do equity. Maybe that’s what it is reminding us of.

When he was reminded that Affi Agbenyo had publicly campaigned on platforms for the NDC in the past, Mr Iddrisu said it will only be a problem if she does that while in her current position.

“If she does that whilst in office, that would be unacceptable as Deputy Electoral Commissioner.”

The experienced politician also disputed the notion that EC officials have the power to manipulate results in anyone’s favour.

“I was going to share my crude view with you, even though I’m hesitant. In Tamale South, the Electoral Commission, Deputy Electoral Commission- how do they impact my election? It is to provide me with a fair, open, transparent platform. But the onus of winning the election is mine. It’s not that of the Electoral Commission. And the onus of avoiding fraud, or being cheated, or somebody treating you unfairly, is largely also mine. You know, many times, MPs abandon their role. You can check throughout history. Every day, up to the election, I spend my maximum time at the Electoral Commission. I’ll monitor every ballot box, what goes into the box, against the population of that polling station and others, into the night deployment of election officers.

“But I can understand the reservations that are being legitimately expressed by the Ghanaian people. If they are unhappy about it, the government has taken note of it,” he stated.