Gov’t forwards petitions against EC chair, deputies, and Special Prosecutor to Chief Justice
The government has confirmed that all petitions filed for the removal of the Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, her two deputies, and the Special Prosecutor have officially been forwarded to the Chief Justice for the next phase of constitutional action.
Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, speaking on Joy News, revealed that the President has completed his administrative role in the matter and that the petitions are now solely for the Chief Justice to consider.
Every process that needed to be done has been undertaken. The process for doing so is quite clear. At this stage, the process has left the hands of the president beyond conveying the petitions to the Chief Justice. There’s little else that the president does in this particular instance. Everything now rests with the Chief Justice, who I believe will act in accordance with Ghanaian law.
According to reports, President John Dramani Mahama received a total of 10 petitions seeking the removal of heads of key state institutions.Seven petitions target the Electoral Commission leadership.
The petitions call for the removal of: Jean Mensa – EC Chairperson, Dr. Bossman Eric Asare – Deputy Chair (Corporate Services), Samuel Tettey – Deputy Chair (Operations).
The petitioners, who include civil society actors, private individuals, and political stakeholders allege mismanagement, administrative lapses, breaches of procurement rules, and concerns over recent electoral processes. Some petitions also reportedly cite the controversy surrounding limited voter registration, alleged uneven application of electoral rules, and disputes over the commission’s recent policy decisions.
Three petitions also target the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng. The petitions against the Special Prosecutor stem from allegations of administrative overreach, concerns over case handling, and public disputes involving the Office of the Special Prosecutor. The legal process for removal is grounded in Article 70(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which gives the President authority, acting on the advice of the Council of State to appoint EC leadership.
However, the President cannot remove them directly, because the EC Chair and deputies enjoy the same terms of service as superior court judges. Kwakye Ofosu noted that the President has fulfilled his constitutional obligation by transferring the petitions and that the matter is now strictly within the remit of the Chief Justice.
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He assured that “the Chief Justice would follow legal processes in handling the petitions.” The EC leadership and the Special Prosecutor will be officially notified and allowed to respond if the process advances. The coming weeks are expected to see significant legal and political attention as the Chief Justice begins the constitutionally mandated review.
