Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Alhassan Suhuyini, has argued that the seven commissioners appointed to the Electoral Commission (EC) under former President Nana Akufo-Addo carried a perception of bias in favour of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Suhuyini said the backgrounds and associations of some appointees had fuelled concerns about whether the commission could be seen as impartial in its dealings with the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He cited EC Chairperson Jean Mensa’s previous work with the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), arguing that her repeated clashes with the NDC during that period had raised questions about her suitability for a role requiring neutrality.

“Despite her qualifications, if I were in the shoes of President Akufo-Addo, there’s no way I would have considered her for that position,” he said.

Suhuyini explained that he considered her disagreements with the NDC during her civil society work problematic for someone who would later serve as an umpire between the two major political parties.

“For me, that was enough to disqualify her as serving as an umpire between a game that involved the NPP and the NDC,” he said on Joy News.

He also pointed to the backgrounds of other commissioners, including a former NPP IT director and appointees he said had family or other associations with the party.

Suhuyini acknowledged that such connections did not necessarily prove that the commissioners had acted with bias, but argued that they contributed to the perception surrounding the commission.

“All the seven at the time that they were in charge exuded a certain level of bias in favour of the NPP. Maybe it could have been guilty by association, but not necessarily because some of them were guilty,” he said.

He said the controversy underscored the importance of appointing commissioners whose backgrounds would not undermine confidence in the EC’s neutrality.