NPP communicator, Ross Owusu has accused President John Mahama of repeating a practice he criticised under former President Nana Akufo-Addo, following the appointment of Emelia Afi Agbenyo as Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.
Owusu argued that Mahama should be guided by his own past criticism of an appointment involving the Electoral Commission rather than repeat a decision that could raise questions about the institution’s independence.
He said the NDC’s promise of a political reset had created expectations that the government would avoid practices it previously opposed.
Speaking on TV3’s Keypoints on October 17, 2026, Owusu questioned why Mahama would make a similar appointment after expressing concerns about an earlier one.
“Why would he disappoint the people of this country in this manner by doing the exact thing he complained of when he was in opposition?” Owusu asked.
He said the President had an opportunity to reconsider the decision and protect his record on democratic governance.
Owusu also rejected the argument that the NPP’s own record on appointments should prevent it from criticising the current administration.
He said the fact that the previous government may have made mistakes did not justify the NDC repeating them.
“If the NPP made some mistakes in the past which the Ghanaian population were not happy with, we do not expect President John Dramani Mahama to toe the same line,” he said.
Owusu maintained that the appointment could undermine confidence in the EC and urged Mahama to address the concerns raised by the NPP and other voices calling for Agbenyo to step aside.
He said the President should listen to the public rather than defend the appointment on the grounds that similar decisions had been made in the past.
