The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has urged Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani to resign from their positions on the board of Ghana's Electoral Commission.
He said even though they have already accepted their position, they should consider resigning.
The two were recently appointed by President Akufo-Addo to the electoral management body. However, they have been described as known affiliates of the ruling NPP.
Dr Appiahene, for instance, has been linked to the NPP’s student wing, TESCON, with accusations that he was once a patron of TESCON in the Bono Region.
Hajia Tijani on the other hand reportedly has family members who have close ties with the NPP.
Rev. Dr Fred Deegbe, a leading member of CODEO speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' explained these issues are being raised now because their appointments have the tendency to make the EC look partisan and affect its credibility in future elections.
"The integrity of an election depends on the referee..." he indicated.
"It is not about their competence or personality but about perceptions and perceptions are important. If they resign, the appointing authority can appoint another. if they don't resign, we will consider our next line of action," he added.
Appiahene not a TESCON patron
Meanwhile, Henry Nana Boakye, National Organizer of the NPP has debunked the allegation that Dr Appiahene is a patron of TESCON and a member of the NPP.
"He's not a patron of TESCON; neither is he an NPP member . . . why should we be doing this to ourselves?
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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CODEO members do you vote? Who did you vote for last election? Are you affiliated to the candidate you voted for? Now you have been exposed that you are sympathizers of NDC. If you live in a glass house, don't throw stones.
I hope you wont comment about it when the tables turns oneday
CODEO is now an obsolete institution. The electoral process in the country from the year 2000 to date is so transparent to the extend that it is very difficult to cheat. First, electoral commission compile the register and give copies to each political party. Any serious political party will know the number of voters in every polling station. The IPAC sits with the EC to choose the publishing house that print the ballot papers. The number of booklet and their serial numbers are recorded and also the party representatives are at present when printing takes place. In the election day, parties have their polling agent present. After and voting, they counts the ballots papers if the number exceed the voters register, the party agent has right to reject the result and lodge official complaint on the complaint sheet provided by the EC. With these and other processes in place if you are even a party General Secretary you cannot cheat or influence anybody. My advice to the NDC that cry foul all the time should forget about spending millions to install electronic gadgets to collate their results. An instruction should be given the the constituency chairmen to collect the pink sheets and bring them to their headquarters to collate them. Ghana is not a big country those in Wa, Bolga,Nadom etc will reach Accra the following day before the EC will announce the final results.
Who in Ghana doesn’t have a political party or doesn’t have a family member who belongs to a political party? Party politics is really not good for Ghana.
Hajia Tijani on the other hand reportedly has family members who have close ties with the NPP. So the woman has a family member with close ties to NPP so she must resign her position? This is f0.0.lish. So all family members must belong to one party? This CODEO is becoming an appendage of the NDC.