A contradiction lies at the heart of Ghana's electoral conversation, where the Ghanaian voter is celebrated as discerning and independent-minded, yet attention shifts from the millions who cast their ballots to the handful entrusted with administering the process whenever appointments to the Electoral Commission arise. This tendency deserves reflection, as public concern about the Electoral Commission is understandable, given the institution's exceptional responsibility in determining who exercises public power. Citizens are entitled to demand competence, integrity, and impartiality from every commissioner.
Two recent elections offer a useful starting point for reflection. In 2015, President John Dramani Mahama appointed Charlotte Osei as Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, and in December 2016, Mahama lost the presidential election. The Commission she chaired declared Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the winner. Similarly, in 2018, President Akufo-Addo appointed Jean Mensa as Chairperson, and in December 2024, the governing New Patriotic Party lost the presidential election under her leadership. These events should temper the certainty with which some claims about electoral appointments are made.
The examples of Charlotte Osei and Jean Mensa's appointments establish that appointing the chairperson of the Electoral Commission does not guarantee victory for the appointing President or governing party. This lesson applies equally to the NDC and the NPP, with each major party experiencing defeat under a Commission chaired by a person appointed by its own government. This symmetry should help refine arguments and prevent the repeated presentation of what experience has shown to be uncertain.
Behind every election result are citizens weighing the circumstances of their lives, making judgments that cannot be reduced to the identity of an electoral commissioner. When we explain elections almost entirely through appointments to the Commission, we overlook ordinary people's political agency and risk treating citizens as spectators in an exercise whose outcome is supposedly arranged elsewhere. This is a poor account of democracy, and political parties should take the independence of voters seriously.
Ghana's Constitution allows the President to appoint members of the Electoral Commission on the advice of the Council of State, while also protecting the Commission from external direction or control in performing its functions. Appointment and operational independence are therefore intended to coexist, with a clear distinction between the two. A commissioner's authority comes with obligations defined by public office, and the person who makes the appointment does not acquire a claim over how those obligations will be discharged.
The Electoral Commission has substantial responsibilities, including compiling and revising the voters' register, demarcating electoral boundaries, conducting public elections and referenda, and educating citizens about the electoral process. These responsibilities can affect whether citizens participate effectively and whether contestants compete fairly. A credible election depends on much more than an accurate announcement on declaration day, and the Commission must provide a fair process, safeguard its integrity, and declare the lawful outcome.
The statement that "elections are won at the polling stations" deserves to be understood beyond its usefulness as a rallying cry. The Electoral Commission's role is to give effect to choices made by citizens, and its authority does not include a preference about who should govern. The more clearly we understand this mandate, the more intelligently we can scrutinise its performance and ensure that the institution remains impartial and effective in administering the electoral process.
Key points
- Appointing the chairperson of the Electoral Commission does not guarantee victory for the appointing President or governing party.
- The Electoral Commission has substantial responsibilities in ensuring a credible election, including compiling the voters' register and conducting public elections.
- The independence of voters should be taken seriously by political parties, and the Electoral Commission's role is to give effect to choices made by citizens.
