Gov’t behind Charlotte Osei’s removal – Nyaho Tamakloe

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Dr Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe has said the Akufo-Addo led government was deeply involved in the plot that led to the removal of Charlotte Osei as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission.

Mrs Osei and two of her deputies—Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwah were sacked by President Akufo-Addo June this year.

Their dismissal was after the Committee set up by the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo, pursuant to Article 146(4) of the Constitution, to investigate separate complaints brought against the three persons, recommended their removal from office.

The recommendation was on the basis of the stated misbehaviour and incompetence to Article 146(1) of the constitution.

President Akufo-Addo has since sworn in Ms Jean Mensa of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) as the new chairperson of the Commission. He also swore in Samuel Tettey and Dr Eric Asare Bossman to fill in the void left behind by Mr Sulley and Ms Opoku Amankwah.

Speaking to Politics&Power Magazine in Accra Dr Nyaho Tamakloe who is an avowed founding member of the governing NPP said the chaos witnessed at the EC leading to the removal of Mrs Osei and her two deputies were masterminded by the government.

“Once again, we have another interesting case, an electoral commissioner who has supervised an election which you won and she comes to declare that you have won the election – then later on through manoeuvring, you have the person ejected,” Dr Nyaho Tamakloe told the magazine.

Asserting that Mrs Osei was deliberately kicked out of office, he warned: “It will definitely disturb our democratic credentials as a country in future. You set a precedence. When other political parties come to power and think whoever you have there will not favour him or her, they will definitely take the same step.”

He added: “We have procedures which I believe we didn’t go through properly before this woman was sacked. I don’t know Charlotte Osei, I’ve never met her in my life before but I am speaking from the point of principle.”