Presidential staffer Beatrice Annan has defended Emelia Afi Agbenyo’s appointment as Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), arguing that taking part in political campaigns does not automatically make someone partisan or incapable of serving impartially.
Ms Annan’s comments follow criticism from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the appointments of Ms Agbenyo and Dr Joseph Kweku Asamoah as Deputy Chairpersons of the EC.
The NPP has questioned Ms Agbenyo’s suitability for the position, pointing to her participation in the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s campaign activities and her role as a spokesperson for the party’s manifesto committee on governance.
Speaking on Citi FM, Ms Annan said Ms Agbenyo had never been a card-bearing member of the NDC and had not demonstrated any bias that would affect her work at the Commission.
“She is not a card-bearing member of the National Democratic Congress and has never been a card-bearing member of the National Democratic Congress. She has not done anything to demonstrate any potential bias or imminent bias,” she said.
She also defended the appointment process, saying the presidency had followed the constitutional requirements. According to her, the nominees were submitted to the Council of State more than a month before their swearing-in, giving the council time to consult relevant stakeholders.
Ms Annan further pointed to Ms Agbenyo’s professional background in gender advocacy, noting that she worked as a technical adviser and gender analyst with GIZ Ghana.
“If you look at her CV critically, before even the NPP came into power in 2016, she had been a gender advocate,” she said.
Supporters of Ms Agbenyo have argued that her involvement in the NDC’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns was linked to efforts to promote women’s representation in leadership and does not establish formal membership of the party.
They maintain that her engagement with political parties reflects her advocacy on gender and policy issues rather than unquestioning loyalty to the NDC.
