No justice appears to be in sight for residents of Santrokofi, Akpafu, Likpe and Lolobi (SALL), now under Oti Region, after Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie dismissed petitions seeking the removal of Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson Jean Mensa and her deputies, ruling that no prima facie case had been established.
The decision has sparked fresh anger among NDC grassroots supporters, many of whom insist the EC leadership should have been held accountable for the SALL voting controversy and what they describe as years of electoral mishaps.
Residents of the SALL communities were unable to vote in the December 2020 parliamentary elections, a development that has remained a major political flashpoint and a key grievance for the NDC in the Volta Region.
Reacting to the Chief Justice’s decision, Hohoe MP Thomas Worlanyo Tsekpo questioned the ruling in a Facebook post, asking: “So is Chief Justice telling us that Jane Mensah is right on SALL at my backyard? I’m sad. What is this Mr Chief Justice??? May God help my NDC.”
The backlash has not been limited to the NDC. President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has also previously called for the removal of the EC leadership over the SALL issue, arguing that he was among those affected and denied the chance to vote.
Over the years, many Ghanaians have similarly demanded the EC leadership step aside, describing the commission’s handling of key electoral matters as unacceptable and damaging to public trust.
Within the NDC, the Chief Justice’s decision has also raised questions about how the petitions were assessed, with some party supporters arguing that the SALL disenfranchisement alone should have warranted deeper scrutiny.
The NDC has repeatedly called for a shake-up at the EC, with party chairman Johnson Asiedu Nketia previously describing the current leadership as “unfit for purpose.”
“There has to be a change,” he insisted. “The three top leadership must all go. They have managed the commission so badly.”
Critics of the EC argue that the Commission’s conduct, particularly surrounding SALL, has weakened public confidence and fuelled perceptions of political bias—claims the EC has consistently denied.
The controversy has also reignited debate about tenure at the EC. Jean Mensa, 54, could remain in office for another 16 years, since the EC Chairperson retires at age 70.
Her deputies, Dr. Bossman Asare, 49, and Dr. Samuel Tettey, 61, will retire at 65, while other commissioners retire at 60.
The EC has previously defended its record and in 2021 warned that certain actions by the NDC were becoming “a cause to worry for the peace and stability in the country.”
Deputy Chairperson Dr. Bossman Asare has also rejected criticism from the NDC, maintaining that the Jean Mensa-led administration has taken steps aimed at deepening Ghana’s democratic credentials.
The decision has revived comparisons with the removal of former EC Chairperson Charlotte Osei and her deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku Amankwaa, whose exit followed petitions citing alleged procurement breaches, misbehaviour and incompetence—claims that were later upheld by a committee set up by then Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo.
