Kweku Baako: Afari-Gyan resignation call by AFAG “futile”

Kweku Baako Jr. has described as “futile”, the call by pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), for the resignation of Electoral Commission Chairman Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.

The New Crusading Guide Editor-in-Chief said on Saturday that the call was misplaced since the 1992 Constitution of Ghana guarantees the EC Chairman’s tenure of office until he turns 70 years.

AFAG on September 10, 2013 issued a statement in which it argued that Dr. Afari-Gyan’s resignation will be a major part of the reforms being advocated by the same EC.

According to AFAG, “there is no doubt that the negligence or incompetence of Dr Afari-Gyan nearly brought this great nation to her knees. Dr Afari-Gyan’s hardnosed approach led to such ill-based decisions and actions in bad faith”.

The statement said: “AFAG finds the continuous stay of Dr. Afari-Gyan in office as unconscionable and an act against reason. We agree the electoral commission must call for proposals for reforms. However, this should not be superintended by the person who consciously admitted the mess. The calls for proposals...are an admission of the fact that, something went very wrong under the forever knowing Dr. Afari-Gyan”.

However, Kweku Baako Jr. told Joy FM’s news analysis programme, newsfile that Dr. Afari-Gyan’s office has the status of a Court of Appeals Judge and, therefore, cannot be forced to resign until he turns 70 or voluntarily decides to leave office.

His point was corroborated by former Attorney General, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, who appeared on the same programme.