United Party communications director Solomon Owusu says he would consider serving on Ghana’s Electoral Commission, as a vacancy left by a deputy chair’s resignation moves toward appointment.
Deputy EC Chairperson Bossman Asare announced his resignation this month, effective July 31, saying he wants to return to an academic post at the University of Ghana. The Presidency said it has already forwarded a nominee to the Council of State to fill the position.
Speaking on Joy Prime, Owusu, Director of Communications for the United Party, said his political affiliation should not automatically rule him out of serving at the Commission. He pointed to commissioners he said already hold ties to the governing party that appointed them.
“We have two NPP members at the EC, but we have tolerated them,” he said. The EC does not require commissioners to publicly declare party affiliation while serving, and Owusu did not name the individuals he meant.
Owusu also described himself as qualified for the role, saying his approach would focus on close scrutiny of nomination forms and strict adherence to electoral procedure.
In a related comment, Owusu argued more broadly for keeping election administration independent of direct political control, tracing the principle to a period when the Ministry of Local Government organised Ghana’s elections before an independent commission was created. The current Electoral Commission operates under the 1992 Constitution and the Electoral Commission Act of 1993, which followed earlier arrangements that placed election duties inside government ministries.
The independence question has drawn attention recently. President John Dramani Mahama referred petitions seeking the removal of EC Chairperson Jean Mensa and two deputies to the Chief Justice in late 2025. Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie found in January that the petitions did not establish a prima facie case for further investigation, and Mensa remains in office.
Owusu separately said Ghana’s election administration still has room to improve, pointing to friction during the 2024 election, though he did not detail specific changes beyond closer scrutiny of nomination paperwork.
