Politically, people have the right to remind us that if you seek equity, do equity - Haruna Iddrisu
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Politically, people have the right to remind us that if you seek equity, do equity - Haruna Iddrisu

Politics 4 minutes read

The Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Haruna Iddrisu has said the appointment of Emelia Afi Agbenyo as a Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) was consistent with the 1992 Constitution.

To Mr Iddrisu, although people had the right to question it on political grounds, he thinks the appointment was constitutionally appropriate.

"But politically, people have the right to remind us that if you seek equity, do equity,” Mr Iddrisu said while speaking in a radio interview monitored by Graphic Online on Joy FM on Tuesday morning [October 13, 2026].

The Tamale Central legislator described the decision as constitutionally appropriate while acknowledging public concerns about her political background and called for legislation to establish additional eligibility criteria for membership of the Commission, if there is the need to do so, to help safeguard its independence and public confidence in its work.


Two new appointed deputy chairpersons of the Electoral Commission, Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Joseph Kwaku Asamoah were on Monday sworn into office by President John Dramani Mahama to help complete the membership of the 7-member Electoral Commission. 

They replaced Dr Bossman Asare, a deputy chairperson in charge of Corporate Services who resigned effective July 31, 2026, to take up full assignment back in academia and Samuel Tettey, deputy chairperson who was in charge of operations, who has retired on the attainment of the compulsory retirement age of 65.

Following the new appointments, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for instance has questioned Ms Agbenyo’s neutrality, citing her participation in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign activities and her role as a spokesperson for the party’s manifesto committee on governance.

Some critics have also questioned the appointment, arguing that the NDC had previously criticised EC officials over alleged political leanings towards the NPP.

Presidential staffer Beatrice Annan has defended the appointment, saying Ms Agbenyo is not a card-bearing member of the NDC.

The NDC Deputy Director of Elections and IT, Rashid Tanko Computer, has also defended her suitability for the position.

At the swearing-in ceremony, President Mahama said he did not expect the EC to give preferential treatment to him, the NDC or his government.

Responding to some of the public concerns on the appointment in relation to Ms Emelia Afi Agbenyo's work when he spoke in the Joy FM interview on Tuesday morning, Mr Iddrisu said the government had taken note of the concerns raised by members of the public.

“If they are unhappy about it, government has taken note of it,” he said.

Call for legislation

Mr Iddrisu said Ghana needed legislation to establish additional criteria for determining who qualified to serve on the EC.

He explained that although the Constitution set out the qualifications for membership of the Commission, a law would help define further requirements for those appointed to the electoral body.


The Constitution requires EC members to be qualified to be elected as Members of Parliament. It also bars the chairperson and deputy chairpersons from holding other public office while serving on the Commission.

Mr Iddrisu said he wanted the Commission to be made up of people who were independent, courageous and committed to transparency.

Questions over political activities

Responding to public concerns on Ms Agbenyo’s Facebook comments on political activities and whether that could affect public confidence in her work at the EC, Mr Iddrisu said if it occurred while she was serving as a Deputy Chairperson of the EC, it would be unacceptable.

He said Ms Agbenyo had until recently worked under his ministry as Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Operations at the Ghana TVET Service.


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