By Franice Tandoh
A group known as the Positive Transparency and Accountability Movement-Africa (PTAAM-Africa) has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama, seeking the removal of the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Mrs. Jean Mensa, along with her deputies.
The petition, filed under Article 146 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, outlines three major reasons for this request: financial loss to the state, creation of a constitutional crisis, and allegations of misconduct and abuse of public office.
According to the petition, the EC’s decision to procure new biometric voter devices and compile a new voter register ahead of the 2020 general elections resulted in significant financial loss to the state, reportedly costing taxpayers millions of dollars. The group argues that the existing voter register and biometric systems from 2016 were reliable and could have been used for the elections, making the expenditure unwarranted.
Additionally, the petition accuses Mrs. Jean Mensa and her team of creating a constitutional crisis in the lead-up to the 2020 elections. Specifically, the group claims that the mandatory nationwide voter registration exercise during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed millions of citizens to life-threatening health risks, compromising public safety.
PTAAM-Africa also alleges gross misconduct on the part of the EC leadership, including procurement breaches, poor corporate governance, and bias. The petition highlights instances of what it describes as gross incompetence, arguing that such actions undermine the integrity of free, fair, and transparent elections in Ghana.
This recent petition follows an earlier one seeking the removal of the same EC officials, which was withdrawn after the petitioners cited a lack of interest and urgency in pursuing their claims.
As the petition awaits action, it raises important questions about the management of Ghana’s electoral processes and the accountability of public officials entrusted with safeguarding democracy.
