Builsa South Member of Parliament Dr Clement Apaak has described the suit against a member of the Electoral Commission (EC), Dr Peter Appiahene as a genuine initiative in the interest of the nation.
“A very genuine initiative in the national interest. We must use every legitimate avenue to protect independent constitutional bodies, including the EC, from being compromised with the appointment of overt and exposed party activists,” he tweeted.
South Dayi Member of Parliament Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor has sued Dr Peter Appiahene who was recently appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He believes that Dr Appiahene is a politically-exposed person but a person is not qualified to be an EC member if that person is a “known sympathiser, a member or openly affiliates or identified with a registered political party in Ghana”.
Dafeamekpor is asking the Supreme Court to revoke the appointment.
“An order revoking the appointment of the Ist Defendant by the President of the Republic of Ghana as a member of the 2nd Defendant Commission.
“An order of interlocutory injunction restraining the Is Defendant from acting as or holding himself out as a member of the 2nd Defendant Commission pending the determination of the suit.
“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st Defendant from acting as or holding himself out as a member of the 2nd Defendant Commission.”
President Akufo-Addo was recently accused by the NDC of appointing politically-exposed persons to the EC.
For instance, former President John Dramani Mahama said the three persons, Dr Peter Appiahene, Madam Salima Ahmed Tijani and Reverend Akua Ofori Boateng belong to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He accused the President of deliberately planting his party members at the EC in order to rig the 2024 general elections in favour of the NPP.
Speaking to supporters of the NDC as part of his campaign to be elected flagbearer of the NDC for the 2024 elections, he said “we want the 2024 general elections to be free and fair, we in NDC won’t rig it and we won’t also allow anyone to rig it.
“If the elections are free and fair the NDC will win by the grace of God.”
He added “The NPP are afraid and so they are placing their party members at the Electoral Commission. If you look at the recent appointments that were made to the EC they are NPP people complete.”
