“Don’t Waste the Political Capital That Ghanaians Have Graced You With” — Senyo Hosi Advises Mahama
Economic Policy Analyst Senyo Hosi has advised President John Mahama to be cautious with decisions that erode the goodwill Ghanaians gave him in the 2024 election. He made the remarks on TV3’s Key Points on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
His comments followed the controversial appointment of Madam Emelia Affi Agbenyo, a known NDC associate, as Deputy Chairperson of the Electoral Commission. Furthermore, he said the Mahama administration is undermining its own progress with such appointments. He described it as one of the biggest disappointments of the NDC administration.
We Voted for a Reset Not Equalisation — Senyo Hosi
Senyo Hosi said Ghanaians voted for a reset in 2024 and not for equalisation or tilting in favour of the ruling party. He stressed that the appointment of Madam Agbenyo does not guarantee independence in the Electoral Commission. Moreover, he warned that decisions of this nature take away from the goodwill the President earned from Ghanaians. Therefore, he urged President Mahama to protect that political capital rather than squander it on appointments that attract public criticism and weaken democratic institutions.
Governance Experts and Lawyer Kpebu Also Condemn Appointment
Professor Baffour Agyemang Duah criticised the appointment of a politically exposed person to the Electoral Commission on the same Key Points programme. He said the appointee alone cannot manipulate an election but stressed that appointments to the EC must raise the bar and avoid known party affiliations.
Furthermore, Lawyer Martin Kpebu said the appointment of Emelia Agbenyo will weaken the independence of the Electoral Commission. He drew a direct comparison to similar appointments under former President Akufo-Addo that the NDC itself condemned. As a result, Kpebu said he supports CODEO’s call for Agbenyo to resign.
CODEO Calls on Agbenyo to Resign and Mahama to Stay Consistent
CODEO, comprising over 41 member organisations, condemned the appointment and called on Ms. Agbenyo to honourably resign. The coalition cited documented evidence of her active NDC political engagement during the 2024 elections, including social media posts using hashtags such as VoteJohnMahama2024 and VoteForChange2024.
Moreover, CODEO reminded President Mahama that in March 2023 he criticised the appointment of known party activists to the EC while in opposition. Therefore, it called on him to apply the same principles consistently now that he is in government. It also called on the Council of State to develop transparent processes for citizens to assess how it discharges its constitutional responsibilities.