Ghanaians are too petty – Deputy Speaker of Parliament on calls for Appiahene to step down

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has rejected calls for the newly appointed commissioner of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Dr. Peter Appiahene, to resign because of his supposed affiliation with the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking in an interview on Oyerepa TV, monitored by GhanaWeb, on Monday, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who is affectionately called Joewise, said that the calls did not make sense because there is no Ghanaian who is apolitical.

He added that suggestions that Appiahene can influence the outcome of the 2024 elections do not add up because elections are won at polling stations.

“The proper accounting of election results is done at the polling stations, pay attention to that place. We are so petty - in many instances, petty.

“In this country, there is not a single person who is not aligned left or right – there is none. The so-called NGOs, each one of them (is aligned with a party). They each have their preferences; Public appearance is a different matter, but they each have their preferences.



“What I did yesterday cannot show that my integrity is at stake for what I do today,” he said in Twi.



Background:

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, March 20, 2023, swore-in three new members of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) at the Jubilee House.

The three new members of the EC, Dr. Peter Appiahene, Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, and Reverend Akua Ofori Boateng, are expected to serve in their new roles until the end of the 2024 elections and are replacements for members of the commission who recently retired.

Akufo-Addo has been heavily criticized for the appointment because some of the appointees are said to be known members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The president is being particularly berated for the appointment of Dr. Peter Appiahene, who is said to be a patron of TESCON, the tertiary education branch of the NPP and Salima Ahmed Tijani, whose family relations are leading members of the NPP.

Dr Appiahene is said to have held the following position in the NPP:

1. Member of the 2022 Bono Regional Election Committee
2. Bono Regional IT Director for Election 2020
3. Bono Regional D-day Coordinator for Elections 2020
4. Member of the National Research and Data Analysis Team for Election 2020.
5. Regional Collation Officer representing NPP at the Bono EC office
6. Regional Collation Officer for NPP Internal Collation for Election 2020
7. Member of the Bono Regional Communications Team
8. Member of Let My Vote Count Alliance.
9. Organised training for all Bono Constituency D-Day Coordinators and
Parliamentary Candidates, Chairmen and Secretaries for the 2020 Elections.
10. Organised training for all Bono Constituency IT coordinators and Polling
Station Executives for Elections 2020.
11. Funding Member of UENR (University of Energy and Natural Resources,
Sunyani)TESCON
12. Patron of UENR TESCON
13. TESCON Member of the University of Education, Winneba

IB/OGB