 Logo of the Electoral Commission of Ghana | |
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1993 |
| Superseding agency |
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| Jurisdiction | Government of Ghana |
| Headquarters | Accra 5°33′43″N0°12′08″W / 5.5618706°N 0.2021849°W /5.5618706; -0.2021849 |
| Agency executives |
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| Child agencies |
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| Key document | |
| Website | ec |
TheElectoral Commission of Ghana (EC) is the official body inGhana responsible for all publicelections. Made up of seven members and there are seven (7) functional departments at the Head Office. Each department is headed by a Director who is assisted by Unit Heads. The departments are:- Electoral services; Human Resource; Finance; Training; Administration; Research, Monitoring & Evaluation; Information Technology.[1] its independence is guaranteed by the 1992Ghana constitution.[2] The current commission was established by theElectoral Commission Act (Act 451) of 1993.[3]Kwadwo Afari-Gyan was the first substantive chairman of the commission in the Fourth Republic of Ghana, from 1993 to 2015.[4][5] He was succeeded byCharlotte Osei as the first female chairman of the commission from 2015 to June 2018.[6]Jean Adukwei Mensah succeeded Charlotte Osei in July 2018. On December 5, 2018, the Electoral commission chaired byJean Adukwei Mensah reverted to the old logo showing theCoat of arms of Ghana[7] and a ballot box showing the hand casting its votes, after the controversy over the new logo.[8][9][10]
As at 2023, there are 33,367 poling station across the country with 38,622 voting stations.[11]
The Minister for Local Government was responsible for conducting elections during the First Republic until 1966. Following the 24 February coup in 1966 which overthrewKwame Nkrumah'sCPP government a committee for electoral reforms was set up. In 1968,V. C. R. A. C. Crabbe was appointed as the Interim Electoral Commissioner of the Interim Electoral Commission. The Interim Commission conducted the1969 Ghanaian parliamentary election. In 1971, the Commission became permanent and G. A. K. Bonsu, Secretary to the Commission became the substantive Electoral Commissioner.[12]
TheNational Redemption Council military government led byGeneral Acheampong appointedIsaac Abban as Interim Electoral Commissioner to supervise the1978 Ghanaian governmental referendum on Union Government. Abban went into hiding after the referendum on 30 March 1978 due to fear for his safety after resisting the rigging of the results.[13][14] After the palace coup of 5 July 1978, another judge,Joseph Kingsley-Nyinah was appointed in his place. He supervised the1979 Ghanaian general election which ushered in the Third Republic.[15] T
The commission is made up of seven members. The position of chairman became vacant in June 2018 when the president,Nana Akufo-Addo sackedCharlotte Osei.[16] This was apparently on the recommendation of a committee set up bySophia Akuffo, theChief Justice of Ghana.[17][18] She was appointed by formerPresidentJohn Dramani Mahama, in consultation with theCouncil of State of Ghana in June 2015.[19] Her two deputies wereAmadu Sulley andGeorgina Opoku Amankwah. Sulley Amadu was appointed byJohn Evans Atta Mills, the then Ghanaian President following the retirement of David Kangah who had served in that capacity for 19 years.[20]Georgina Opoku Amankwah was appointed by President John Mahama to replace Sarfo-Kantanka who had served for about 20 years. She is the first female deputy chairman of the commission.[21] There are four other members. Mrs. Paulina Adobea Dadzawa, an administrator and Ebenezer Aggrey Fynn, a Management Consultant were appointed byPresident Kufuor in consultation with the Council of State of Ghana in February 2004.[22] In June 2018, the chairman, Charlotte Osei and her two deputies were sacked byNana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana following an investigation by a committee set up by the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, following various allegations of fraud and corruption leveled against them.[18] In July 2018,the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo nominated 4 EC top officials[23] The new Electoral Commissioner,Jean Adukwei Mensa along with her two new deputies, Samuel Tettey and Eric Bossman as well as another new member Adwoa Asuama Abrefa were all sworn in by President Akufo-Addo on 1 August 2018.[24] In February 2004, three members of the commission retired. They wereElizabeth Solomon, Mrs. Theresa Cole, and Professor Ernest Dumor. Another member, Dr. M. K. Puni, died in June 2005. Dixon Afreh is a former member of the Commission who left when he was appointed as a Justice of the Appeal Court inOctober 1994. The Electoral Commission of Ghana established a biometric system of registration for the electoral register prior to the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections to prevent double registration and to eliminate ghost names in the old register. In preparation for the 2020 elections, 257 of the 260 offices all over the country were linked on the internet. MTN wonthe bid to provide the internet network and Persol Systems, the bid to build the Data Centre.[25]
On 7th May, 2024, the EC has started a limited voter registration exercise to register a targeted number of 623,000 eligible voters onto the electoral register. The 21-day exercise is meant for those who have turn 18 years and others who have not previously register to vote. This exercise is expected to be carry out in 1053 centers, made up 268 district offices of the EC and 758 additional centers in hard-to-reach areas agreed on by political parties. The limited voter registration exercise is expected on Monday 27th May, 2024.[26]
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| Chairman | Jean Adukwei Mensa[23] | August 2018–present |
| Deputy chairman | Eric Asare Bossman[23] | August 2018–present |
| Deputy chairman | Samuel Tettey[23] | August 2018–present |
| Member | Mrs. Paulina Adobea Dadzawa[22] | February 2004–present |
| Member | Salima Ahmed Tijani[27] | March 2023–present[28] |
| Member | Peter Appiahene[27] | March 2023–present[28] |
| Member | Rev Akua Ofori Boateng[27] | March 2023–present[28] |
| Member | Adwoa Asuama Abrefa | August 2018[29] – present |
| Past chairman | ||
| Chairman | V. C. R. A. C. Crabbe[12] | 1968–1971 |
| Chairman | G. A. K. Bonsu[12] | 1971–1972 |
| Chairman | Isaac Abban[13] | 1978 |
| Chairman | Joseph Kingsley-Nyinah[15] | 1978–1981 |
| Chairman | Josiah Ofori Boateng[30] | 1992–1993 |
| Chairman | Kwadwo Afari-Gyan | 1993 – June 2015 |
| Chairman | Charlotte Osei | June 2015 – June 2018[18] |
| Past Deputy chairman | ||
| Deputy chairman | Kwame Afreh[31] | 1992–1994 |
| Deputy chairman | David Azey Adeenze-Kangah | 1993 – April 2012[20] |
| Deputy chairman | Kwadwo Sarfo-Kantanka | 1993 – April 2013[32] |
| Deputy chairman | Sulley Amadu[20] | May 2012 – June 2018[18] |
| Deputy chairman | Georgina Opoku Amankwaa[21] | July 2013 – June 2018[18] |
| Past members | ||
| Member | Dr M K Puni[33] | ? – June 1995 |
| Member | Elizabeth Solomon[33] | ? – February 2004 |
| Member | Theresa Cole[33] | ? – February 2004 |
| Member | Ernest Dumor[33] | ? – February 2004 |
| Member | Nana Amba Eyiiba I, Efutuhemaa | February 2004 – 2010 |
| Member | Eunice Akweley Roberts | February 2004 – 2010 |
| Member | Mrs. Paulina Adobea Dadzawa[22] | February 2004 – 2018[34] |
| Member | Ebenezer Aggrey Fynn[22] | March 2004 – March 2023 |
| Member | Sa-Adatu Maida | November 2010[35] – March 2023 |
| Member | Rebecca Kabukie Adjalo | November 2010[35] – March 2023 |
| Source:Electoral Commission of GhanaArchived 3 June 2013 at theWayback Machine | ||
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The claim that the commission received a successful support to the close ofelections of 2008, has made it a focus of African and international election reform organizations.[36] In November 2009, a conference was held to analyze this election and tried to establish new standards and practices for African election commissions.[36] It was held inAccra and was titledColloquium on African Elections: Best Practices and Cross-Sectorial Collaboration.[36] The conference was organized by a number of international election reform organizations including theNational Democratic Institute, theAfrica Center for Strategic Studies, theInternational Foundation for Electoral Systems, theNetherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, theOpen Society Initiative for West Africa andUNDP.[36]
In February 2004, three members of the commission retired. They were Elizabeth Solomon, Mrs. Theresa Cole and Professor Ernest Dumor. Another member, Dr. M. K.Puni, died in June 2005. Dixon Afreh is a former member of the Commission who left when he was appointed as a Justice of the Appeal Court in October 1994.[37] Three of the members were appointed byPresident John Kufuor in consultation with theCouncil of State of Ghana in February 2004 and sworn in on 5 March 2004. They are Mrs. Paulina Adobea Dadzawa, an administrator, Nana Amba Eyiiba I, Efutuhemaa and Krontihemaa of the Oguaa Traditional Area and Eunice Akweley Roberts, an educationist and human resource practitioner. They were all women. Ebenezer Aggrey Fynn, a management consultant was also appointed to the commission by the president to bring it to its full complement of seven members.[22]
In June 2018, the chairperson,Charlotte Osei, and her two deputies,Amadu Sulley andGeorgina Opoku Amankwah were removed from office by President Akufo-Addo on the recommendation of a committee set up by the chief justice.[38]
The Electoral Commission of Ghana established a biometric system of registration for the electoral register prior to the 2012presidential andparliamentary elections to prevent double registration and to eliminate ghost names in the old register.[39][40] In preparation towards the 2020 elections, 257 of the 260 offices all over the country were linked on the internet.MTN Ghana won the bid to provide the internet network and Persol Systems, the bid to build theData center.[41] Two weeks before the 2020 elections, the commission indicated that it had put in place resources to ensure that the results and declaration of winners, would be done within 24 hours of the end of voting.[42]
The lives of Electoral Commissions prior to the Fourth Republic of Ghana were interrupted due to military coups. At the time of the UNIGOV referendum in 1976,Justice Isaac K. Abban was appointed by theSupreme Military Council underIgnatius Kutu Acheampong.[43]
In May 2021, the EC agreed on some proposals to reform the conduct of elections in the country, such as conduct of voter registration exercises all year round, exhibitions, filing of nominations and special voting.[44] The E.C is seeking to change the presidential and parliamentary elections from December 7 to November 7. This falls under reforms yet to be implemented.[45]
In September 2024,Bernard Mornah sued the EC over his disqualification from the presidential race.[46] The EC later came to explain the reason he was disqualified.[47]
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