CODEO demands resignation of new EC Deputy Chair over NDC affiliation
Coalition cites her role as NDC manifesto spokesperson and partisan social media posts; tells Mahama to live by his 2023 principles
The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has condemned the appointment and swearing-in of Ms. Emelia Affi Agbenyo as Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) and is calling on her to honourably resign.
In a press statement issued for immediate release, CODEO, which comprises over 41 member organizations, said that while it recognizes the President’s constitutional authority to appoint, public evidence of Ms. Agbenyo’s active political engagement with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 campaign “directly compromises the public perception of the independence, impartiality, and institutional credibility of the Electoral Commission.”
Documented Partisan Engagement
CODEO listed publicly documented evidence to back its call:
According to the Coalition, in August 2024, the NDC publicly announced Ms. Agbenyo among its sectoral spokespersons for its 2024 election manifesto under the governance portfolio, a role she confirmed in her bio on LinkedIn.
The statement further cited her social media activities:
On September 20, 2024, she posted on Facebook a video featuring then NDC presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama with the party’s campaign song and hashtags #a_democracy_to_salvage and #voteforchange2024.
On October 31, 2024, she posted a photograph of John Mahama with the caption “To salvage our democracy, to restore good governance…” with hashtags #voteJM2024.
And on December 2, 2024, she published a post on her X account stating: “I will be voting against a government that ridiculed the pains of the people…” with hashtags #salvageourdemocracy, #VoteJohnMahama2024, and #EndTyranny.
CODEO stressed that the integrity of the EC depends not only on actual neutrality but on the public’s absolute confidence in that neutrality.
Consistent Principle, Council of State Failure
The Coalition said this is not the first time it has raised such concerns, citing its objections to the appointments of Charlotte Osei, Jean Mensah, Bossman Asare, Samuel Tetteh and, in 2023, Dr. Peter Appiahene over his perceived NPP affiliation. That 2023 objection, CODEO recalled, was supported by the NDC and then Presidential Aspirant John Mahama, who called for urgent reforms.
CODEO also questioned the role of the Council of State, noting that the Constitution requires the President to appoint EC members “on the advice” of the Council, not “in consultation with.” Its failure to develop a transparent process signals “a breakdown in the current constitutional architecture.”
The Coalition clarified its concern is not about Ms. Agbenyo’s professional qualification or technical competence, but about safeguarding the EC’s credibility. It noted that failure to mitigate perceptions of bias has pushed citizen trust in the Commission to its lowest ratings in 2024, according to Afrobarometer.
CODEO’s Demands
In view of the documented political engagement, CODEO:1. Calls on Ms. Emelia Affi Agbenyo to honourably resign as Deputy Chairperson of the EC in the interest of protecting public confidence in the Commission’s impartiality.2. Calls on President John Dramani Mahama to demonstrate consistency with his previous position by urging Ms. Agbenyo to resign.
CODEO recalled that in March 2023, then opposition leader Mahama criticised the appointment of “known party activists” to the EC and called for an amendment of Article 43(2) of the 1992 Constitution to require parliamentary approval for new Commissioners.
“The principles he advocated in 2023 must be applied consistently while in government. The credibility of electoral institutions demands that the same standards be upheld regardless of which political party holds power,” the statement concluded.
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