Group petitions President Mahama for removal of EC Chairperson Jean Mensa over alleged misconduct and financial loss
A group called the Positive Transparency and Accountability Movement-Africa (PTAAM-Africa) has formally petitioned President John Dramani Mahama, calling for the removal of the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Mrs. Jean Mensa, and her deputies.
Filed under Article 146 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, the petition presents three main reasons for the request: financial loss to the state, the creation of a constitutional crisis, and allegations of misconduct and abuse of public office.
The petition claims that the EC’s decision to procure new biometric voter devices and compile a new voter register ahead of the 2020 general elections resulted in significant financial loss to the state, with taxpayers reportedly footing millions of dollars in costs.
The group contends that the 2016 voter register and biometric systems were reliable and could have been used, rendering the expenditure unnecessary.
Furthermore, the petition accuses Mrs. Jean Mensa and her team of creating a constitutional crisis leading up to the 2020 elections. It argues that the mandatory nationwide voter registration during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed millions of citizens to life-threatening health risks, thereby endangering public safety.
PTAAM-Africa also alleges serious misconduct on the part of the EC leadership, including procurement violations, poor corporate governance, and bias. The petition points to instances of what it describes as gross incompetence, arguing that such actions undermine the integrity of free, fair, and transparent elections in Ghana.
This petition follows an earlier attempt to have the same EC officials removed, which was withdrawn after the petitioners cited a lack of interest and urgency in pursuing their claims.
As the petition awaits further action, it raises critical questions about the management of Ghana’s electoral processes and the accountability of public officials entrusted with protecting democracy.
