Ibrahim Adjei: EC Chair’s Removal Must Be Based on Evidence, Not Political Revenge
Former presidential aide cautions NDC against politically motivated attempts to oust Jean
- Removal of EC Chair must be based on clear evidence
- NDC’s call for dismissal appears partisan and lacks legal grounding
- Politically driven removals risk weakening Ghana’s democratic institutions
Ibrahim Adjei, former Assistant Secretary at the Office of former President Nana Akufo-Addo, has strongly cautioned the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) against any attempts to remove Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa without credible and lawful justification.
In an interview on June 30, Adjei stressed that any move to oust the EC leadership must be rooted in constitutional procedures and backed by concrete evidence—not political vengeance.
“The agenda has been set, not today,” Adjei remarked, suggesting that the NDC’s push appears to be a continuation of a broader political strategy rather than a principled call for accountability.
“But what the NDC needs to be guided by is that there has to be a basis upon which you remove the EC Chair. It is not tit-for-tat. Charlotte Osei was accused and found guilty of breaching the Public Procurement Act. You cannot pull something from the air and say this is why we are removing Jean Mensa.”
His comments follow recent statements by NDC National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, who demanded the removal of the EC’s top officials, citing what he described as gross incompetence. Asiedu Nketiah pointed to unresolved issues, such as the disputed parliamentary results in Ablekuma North, as evidence of institutional failure.
But Adjei countered that such claims, without clear proof of wrongdoing, risk undermining the very institutions that uphold Ghana’s democracy.
“If you want to remove the Electoral Commissioner, bring evidence of misconduct,” he emphasized. “We cannot destabilise the electoral process just because of political discomfort.”
He warned that setting a precedent for politically motivated removals could erode public trust in Ghana’s democratic systems and compromise the integrity of future elections.
