Former Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, has opened up about the numerous death threats she faced while in office, revealing the toll it took on her family.
In an interview on Accra-based Joy FM, Osei shared that her role unexpectedly put her and her family’s safety at risk, with threats arriving through various channels, including mail.
“There were threats through the mail, and sometimes the security agencies would call to warn me to be careful,” she disclosed in the interview on Thursday.
Mrs Osei, who led the EC during a highly charged political period, explained that the situation was particularly tough on her young children, who faced harassment at school due to the intense political climate.
Despite her generally fearless nature, Osei admitted that the threats made her question whether the job was worth the danger it posed to her family.
“My family was very supportive and recognised that it was just for a season. All storms run out of water at some point, so everyone encouraged me to stay strong and see how things would unfold after the elections,” she reflected.
Entering the role with an open mind, Osei was surprised by the level of hostility and unexpected challenges she encountered.
“There were some things I expected, but it was worse than we anticipated. The sheer pettiness and creative fiction were quite surprising,” she noted, addressing the difficulties she faced.
Charlotte Osei also tackled persistent rumors about her political affiliations, expressing shock at the extent of fabrications surrounding her.
“I woke up to posters claiming I had contested for an election in Evalue Gwira, which I never did and never intended to,” she clarified.
Emphasizing the need for resilience and focus in such a demanding position, Osei advised against taking the criticisms personally.
“You need to block out a lot of things. Those who worked closely with me knew not to send certain things my way so that I could concentrate on doing the job right. It’s about following the law,” she stated, adding, “Insults will be plenty, but you learn not to take things personally. Clean hands and a clean heart—focus on doing your job.”
Despite the challenges, Osei expressed no regrets about her time as EC Chairperson.
“I cannot say I regret it; it was an absolute honor to serve, and I did it to the best of my ability. I am proud of the work we did,” she concluded.
