As President, I expect no preferential treatment from EC for my government – President Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has declared that he expects no preferential treatment from the Electoral Commission (EC) for himself, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or his government, insisting that the institution must apply the same standards to all political parties and candidates.
He said the Commission’s independence, fairness and impartiality were essential to protecting the right of Ghanaians to freely elect their leaders and strengthening public confidence in the country’s democratic process.
President Mahama made the remarks during the swearing-in ceremony of Emelia Afi Agbenyo and Dr. Joseph Kwaku Asamoah as Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission.
Addressing the newly appointed officials, the President stressed that their allegiance must be to the Republic of Ghana and its people rather than any political party or government.
“As President, I expect no preferential treatment from the Electoral Commission for myself, my party, or my government. I expect an institution that applies the same standards to everyone and protects Ghanaians’ right to choose their leaders freely,” he said.
He charged the two deputy chairpersons to discharge their responsibilities without favour towards any political party, candidate or government, adding that the authority accompanying their offices must be exercised with fairness, restraint and fidelity to the law.
“Your duty is to the Republic of Ghana and its people. You must discharge your responsibilities without favour towards any political party, any candidate, or government,” President Mahama stated.
He further urged the officials to demonstrate the courage to uphold what is right, even when their decisions might be inconvenient for those involved.
According to him, public trust in the Electoral Commission must be earned through consistent conduct, transparent procedures, timely responses to concerns and a commitment to correcting mistakes.
The President encouraged the new deputy chairpersons to engage constructively with political parties, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to address concerns about electoral processes.
He said legitimate concerns must be addressed, inaccurate information corrected with clear facts, and mistakes acknowledged and rectified promptly.
President Mahama also underscored the importance of sustained electoral preparation, including accurate record-keeping, well-trained officials, reliable logistics, secure systems and prudent management of public resources.
He called for the responsible use of technology to improve electoral reliability and accessibility, while ensuring that persons with disabilities, older citizens, women, young people and eligible voters in remote communities could participate fully in elections.
The President also reminded political parties, citizens, the media and security agencies of their respective responsibilities in protecting electoral integrity.
He urged political parties to act responsibly, citizens to reject intimidation and violence, the media to verify information before publication, and security agencies to perform their duties professionally and impartially.
President Mahama assured the Electoral Commission that his government would support it in carrying out its mandate while respecting its independence.
Congratulating Ms. Agbenyo and Dr. Asamoah on their appointments, he expressed confidence that their combined professional experience would help strengthen the Commission’s institutional systems and electoral administration.
He urged them to let competence, fairness and the national interest guide their decisions throughout their tenure.
“Let competence distinguish your work. Let fairness shape your judgement, and let the national interest remain your constant compass,” he said.
