The United States Government, appears to have put the managers of Ghana’s impending elections in a tight corner, with the announcement that specific individuals who would be responsible for undermining the country’s democracy, face visa restrictions together with their immediate family members.
This warning issued by Antony J. Blinken, the US Secretary of State through a press release, comes as the Electoral Commission’s chairperson and deputies, have faced incessant accusations from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of scheming to rig the election for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The NDC, aside from mentioning the names of Jean Mensa and Bossman Asare, referencing their previous roles and what they perceived were politically biased remarks as head of a think-tank; the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and head of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana respectively, have been cited to support claims that they would not be fair-minded.
Mentions have also been made of their mathematical error at the 2020 presidential elections and the EC boss’ refusal to enter the witness box during the Election Petition hearing at the Supreme Court to speak to her many conflicting numbers, which were variously amended, as her lack of competence.
Additionally, there have been some employments, appointments, and changes, which the NDC has often maintained as a manifestation of how sympathizers of the ruling NPP, have been sent to the Commission mainly toward election manipulation.
Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chairman of Operations and Dr Serebour Quaicoe, the Director of Electoral Services, have also been on the radar of the NDC as part of the NPP rigging machinery, while a certain Kwakye, said to be an IT consultant, the son of President Akufo-Addo’s late cousin, Yaw Anfo Kwakye, has not been spared either.
Interestingly, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), STAR Ghana Foundation, and Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) held a press conference at the Ghana International Press Center, and registered their disapproval and opposition to the appointment of Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, as members of the EC, and demanded their resignation.
The statement from the United States, clarified that its government has introduced a new visa restriction policy aimed at specific individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Ghana, as the country prepares for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 7, 2024.
It explained that the policy, announced by the U.S. Department of State, will impose visa restrictions on those believed to have engaged in activities that threaten democratic principles, including election manipulation, violence, or actions designed to suppress freedoms of association, peaceful assembly, and expression.
“Persons who undermine democracy in Ghana — including in the lead-up to, during, and following Ghana’s 2024 elections may be found to be ineligible for visas under this policy,” a press statement issued by Mr Anthony J. Blinken, the US Secretary of State, said.
It said the policy was not directed at the general Ghanaian public or the Government of Ghana, but rather at individuals, whose actions compromise the democratic process, adding that “certain family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions.”
It comes after the NDC’s John Mahama and his party chiefs’ meeting with the US embassy and some other diplomatic missions in Accra. There have also been claims that the Americans were involved in getting the EC to respond to the NDC’s claims of a padded electoral register.
President Akufo-Addo, in accordance with Article 43 (1 and 2) of the 1992 Constitution, sworn-in the three Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng Salima, Ahmed Tijani, and Dr Peter Appiahene, as members of the EC governing board on Monday, March 20, 2023, and came under fire.
Indeed, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Buem constituency and the former NDC National Organizer, Kofi Adams, slammed President Nana Akufo-Addo, for appointing known members of the NPP onto the board of the EC.
He disclosed that Dr Peter Appiahene is an NPP activist who was a patron of the Tertiary Education Student Confederacy Network (TESCON) – a university wing of the NPP.
Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, Dr Peter Appiahene, and Rev. Akua Ofori Boateng, filled vacancies created by the earlier retirement of Mrs. Hajia Sa-Adatu Maida, Mr Ebenezer Aggrey-Fynn and Mrs Rebecca Kabukie Adjalo.
“Unhelpfully, the announcement of the new appointments was not accompanied by detailed biographical and other background information about each of the appointees. We are indeed unsure if the Council of State itself was provided with all the necessary background information it is expected to have in order to effectively discharge its constitutionally mandated “advice” function in respect of these appointments”, CODEO), STAR Ghana Foundation and Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) wondered.
They argued that “Particularly where, as in this instance, an appointment is not subject to vetting and approval by Parliament, we believe it is imperative that sufficient biographical and other background information on each nominee or appointee be provided to the public and any relevant body by the Appointing Authority”.
“In the absence of adequate official biographical information on the appointees, we too, like the public and media generally, have been compelled to rely on Internet searches, social media, and other unofficial sources to learn more about the appointees. This is what we know so far about each of the new appointees”, they stated.
According to his LinkedIn page, Dr Peter Appiahene, is an Assistant Professor/Senior Lecturer at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, where he heads the Department of Computer Science and Informatics1.
From his LinkedIn page, we also learn that Dr Appiahene, holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science, and an MPhil in Information Technology, both from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
Following the announcement of his appointment as a member of the EC, social media postings revealed that Dr Appiahene is an activist of the New Patriotic Party in the Bono Region.
In one social media comment from January 2021 headed “DR. APPIAHENE for BONO Region,” Dr Appiahene is featured on an NPP-labelled flyer as one of six prospects for the position of Bono Regional Minister.
The commenter, who put up that post states that “The Bono Region and the NPP party need much more energetic and vibrant leadership to help take the Region to the desired goals” and urges all to “rally behind Dr Peter Appiahene for Bono Regional Minister to achieve more.”
In another social media video clip that went viral after his appointment, Dr Appiahene, was seen and heard participating in a radio program “Anopa Nimdee Adwasuo” on Nimdee FM 95.1 (Sunyani) as a self-identified NPP partisan and activist in the Bono Region and naming one Kwame Baffoe (popularly known as Abronye DC) as his Chairman.
Predictably, Dr Appiahene’s appointment generated a heated public debate in mainstream and social media. The NDC denounced the appointment, while the NPP defended it.
According to a Graphic Online report, Madam Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani (Nee Salima Sani Mahama) is a banker with the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Integrated Development Studies from the University of Development Studies (UDS) and an MBA in Project Management (GIMPA) and is currently pursuing an MSc in Finance at the Accra Business School.
Internet searches and other social media exchanges since the announcement of her appointment, revealed additional relevant information about Madam Salima Tijani.
She is said to be married to one Sheikh T.B Damba, a leading member of the NPP, who was formerly the Second National Vice Chairman of the NPP and served as Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2017 to 2021.
Madam Salima Tijani’s mother, Hajia Samata Gifty Bukari, was the first elected woman First Vice Chairperson of the NPP in the Northern Region.
Her sister Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah, who is currently the CEO of Microfinance and Loans Centre (MASLOC), contested the 2020 NPP primaries for the Yendi constituency and has already publicly announced her intention to contest again for the Yendi seat in 2024.
Madam Salima Ahmed Tijani’s multiple close familial relationships with leading and active NPP figures raise apparent conflict of interest concerns and, for that matter, a legitimate perception and appearance of a lack of independence.
The case of Reverend Akua Buabema Ofori-Boateng, is the Director of Programmes for the Anglican Diocese of Accra. A priest, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics from Miami University (Florida, USA), a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech (Virginia, USA), and an MBA from Indiana University (Indiana, USA). She also earned a Master of Arts degree in Ministry from the Trinity Theological Seminary in Legon, Ghana. As a priest, Rev. Akua Ofori-Boateng serves at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Accra. She has hosted a gospel talk show, #995TheWord, on Asaase Radio 99.5 since June 2020. We have found nothing problematic in her background.
But the NDC had contended that she works with Asaase Radio 99.5 owned by Gabby Asare Ochere-Darko, the powerful cousin of President Nana Akufo-Addo who is has been nicknamed “The Prime Minister”.
CODEO), STAR Ghana Foundation, and Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) last year, stated that “we are concerned about the non-transparent and non-inclusive nature of appointments to key independent constitutional bodies like the EC. Although the relevant letter of the Constitution is unhelpfully scanty, the spirit of the Constitution that underpins these provisions leaves no doubt that having regard to the functions assigned the EC as well as the Commission’s independent character, nonpartisanship, both actual and perceived, is a non-negotiable principle and consideration that must guide the Appointing Authority in the selection of the Commission’s members”.
They said “while we support calls for a constitutional amendment to make the process of nomination and appointment to the EC explicitly inclusive and transparent, we believe that there is room even in the current constitutional arrangement for the process to be inclusive and transparent. We propose that, in filling a vacancy on the EC (and other independent constitutional bodies), the President, acting in his role as Head of State, propose and make public the names (and biographical information) of candidates to be considered by the Council of State. In keeping with the spirit of his role as Head of State, the President should consult key stakeholders, including political parties represented in Parliament, in coming up with the list of candidates to be submitted to the Council of State. The Council should then invite petitions and other inputs on the proposed individuals from the public as part of a process of vetting and shortlisting the candidates”.
“The Council of State would then shortlist and rank the final candidates and make appropriate recommendations to the President. In an amended constitutional process, the nominee should be required to receive the approval of Parliament prior to their appointment by the President. What we wish to emphasize here is that nothing about the current constitutional provision and arrangement relating to the EC requires or excuses the appointment of partisans and other unsuitable persons to membership of the EC”.
“We are painfully aware that voluntary or constitutionally-grounded revocation of these unfortunate and democratically problematic EC appointments by the President is extremely unlikely.
However, nothing stops the affected appointees, namely Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, from voluntarily and honourably resigning from membership of the EC. This will be in the supreme interest of our country’s continued democratic progress, election peace and credibility, and indeed the overall national interest.
While both Dr Appiahene and Madam Salima Ahmed Tijani meet the generic benchmark qualification stipulated under Article 44(1) (that is, the same qualification one must satisfy to be a Member of Parliament), we believe strongly that, having regard to the independent and nonpartisan nature of our Electoral Commission and its mandate, the spirit of the Constitution demands far more in the way of one’s suitability to be a member of the EC”.
“We accordingly call on Dr Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani to do the honourable thing and resign” CODEO), STAR Ghana Foundation, and Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) said.
They argued that “Elections are an indispensable anchor of our democracy. Elections run by Election Management Bodies that suffer from a trust or credibility crisis tend to produce not just divisive and potentially destabilizing election results, they also produce governments with low levels of legitimacy and an embittered and polarized politics and society, all of which make the business of governing and building national unity in the post-election period tough and rough. Already, as Afrobarometer data have shown, trust in our EC has been on the decline in recent years”.
“In order for citizens to continue to trust the EC, the credibility and independence of the EC, including, importantly, the appearance of partisan neutrality, are paramount and must be safeguarded. It is against this background that we have over the years consistently advocated for a transparent and inclusive process for appointing persons to fill vacancies on the EC”.
“The appointment to the EC of individuals known or widely perceived to be partisan or party-biased can only deepen public mistrust in the EC. We believe strongly that the resignations of Dr Peter Appiahene and Salima Ahmed Tijani are a necessary step in efforts to rebuild trust and confidence in the EC and, thereby, guarantee the peace of our elections, and the effectiveness of the Commission in the discharge of its extremely important national mandate”.
