Former EC Chairperson Weeps Over Threats

The former Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission, Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei, has opened up about alleged threats and personal challenges she faced during her tenure from 2015 to June 2018.

In an upcoming episode of Joy News’ Personality Profile, Ms Osei shared the harrowing details of her experiences, revealing the severe risks she and her family allegedly encountered.

Osei’s appointment as the first woman to lead the Electoral Commission was a historic milestone, succeeding Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, who had served for over two decades.

However, her tenure was marked by intense political tension, and was provided with heavy security. Her radio appearances were protected by police armoured vehicles, cordoning off access roads until she was done with the interviews.

Speaking on the show, she said she received threats through various channels during her time of service, including mail, and was often alerted by security agencies to potential dangers.

“There were threats through my emails, and sometimes the security agencies would notify me of receiving threats and warn me to be careful,” she recounted.

She noted that the situation was particularly distressing for her family, who experienced significant emotional strain, adding that her children faced abuse at school, and the family was subjected to hostility directed at her throughout her service.

Charlotte Osei was appointed Chairperson of the Electoral Commission in 2015, making her the first woman to hold the position.

Her tenure was marked by significant political tension as some reforms suggested were ignored including the compilation of fresh biometric voter register.

Under her leadership, the Electoral Commission rather implemented reforms that suited her whims and caprices such as the changing of the EC logo which had nothing to do with Ghana’s electoral process.
Osei’s contributions include: overseeing the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections, Implementing the voter registration exercise and Introducing the electronic results transmission system.

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