Pressure is growing on President John Dramani Mahama to address the petitions calling for the removal of Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa and her deputies, Dr. Eric Bossman Asare and Samuel Tettey. One of the petitions, filed by the Positive Transparency and Accountability Movement Africa (PTAAM Africa) in January, outlined three main reasons for their removal: causing financial loss to the state, creating a constitutional crisis, and allegations of misconduct and abuse of public resources.
Vice President of PTAAM Africa, Rashid Isah, reiterated the urgency of the situation in an interview on Joy FM’s Top Story. He expressed frustration over the lack of response from the presidency regarding the petition. “As a matter of fact, we’ve not had any clear communication as to what action the President is hoping to take on our petition. We have sent reminders, and we are prepared to follow up if nothing is done. As of now, there has been no direct communication,” he said.
Isah highlighted the EC Chair’s decisions, such as the costly compilation of a new voters’ register for the 2020 elections despite economic challenges, as evidence of mismanagement and financial loss to the state. He also pointed to instances of electoral violence and the disenfranchisement of a constituency during the 2020 polls as indicators of a constitutional crisis under Mensa’s leadership.
The petition was initially submitted on January 8, 2025, shortly after the new government took office. Despite understanding the need for the administration to settle in, PTAAM Africa has sent reminders in April and is prepared to escalate their demands if no response is received from the presidency. “We are keeping our fingers crossed, but we have also taken note of certain actions by this government that appear to be geared towards the same goal. As a team, we will soon decide on our next line of action,” Isah added.
It remains to be seen how President Mahama will address the growing pressure to act on the petitions calling for the removal of the EC Chairperson and her deputies. The situation underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in the electoral process, as well as the need for timely and decisive action in response to allegations of misconduct and mismanagement.
