President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, 26 July 2017, referred a petition purporting to invoke Article 146(3) of the Constitution, in respect of the office of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, to the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia Akuffo.
According to a statement from the presidency signed by Director of Communications Eugene Arhin, while the President was out of the country, his office received a petition, initially undated and unsigned, against the Chairperson of the EC.
“Subsequently, counsel, Maxwell Opoku Agyemang, Esq., by letter dated 20th July, 2017, wrote to the office of the President setting out the names of the petitioners and the date of the petition.
“Pursuant to the terms of Article 146(3), President Akufo-Addo has, thus, referred the petition to the Chief Justice for resolution, in accordance with the provisions of Article 146(3),” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the leadership of parliament will later today, Wednesday, 26 July meet with Commissioners of the EC to intervene in the ongoing fight between the Chair and her two deputies, Class News’ parliamentary correspondent Ekow Annan has gathered.
He said the meeting will come off right after the EC boss finishes briefing the house about how much the election management body made from controversial fees it charged journalists for accreditation ahead of the 2016 general elections.
Some staff of the EC petitioned President Akufo-Addo to remove Mrs Osei from office over allegations of fraud and financial malfeasance.
Mrs Osei has counter-alleged corruption against his deputies insisting that she has done nothing wrong but being hounded because she is fighting internal graft.
She has also sued the lawyer representing the anonymous petitioners, Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, for defamation.
The accusations and counter allegations have thrown the EC into a state of turmoil with critics saying it has lost its credibility to conduct elections in the future in its current state.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
