Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, believes the position of Electoral Commissioner should be occupied by a man, rather than a woman.

According to him, being Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) is a position that is “too rough” for women.

He argued that the EC Chair job is not one that should be reserved for women alone, saying the fact that the axed Charlotte Osei was a woman doesn’t mean her replacement should be another woman.

Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin. Source: 3news.com
He said the criticism that comes with that office usually discourages other women from picking up political appointment, hence, wanted a man to fill that role.

“I don’t think because the outgone [EC Chair] was a lady, the incoming must also be a lady. That turf is too rough for a lady,” Mr. Bagbin told Class FM.

“Our ladies are doing well, they are tough, but I don’t think we should be risking them that much. We want to have many more ladies encouraged to enter politics, but when they see some of their role models that are destroyed like that because they’ve been giving such a risky job, they are discouraged from getting into politics.”

The former Health Minister, who currently serves as MP for Nadowli-Kaleo, said the new EC Chair nominee, Jean Adukwei Mensa, must reject the appointment.

He said he advised outgone EC Chair Charlotte Osei against taking the position and will offer the same advice to the incoming EC Chair.

“If you ask Mrs Charlotte Osei, she will tell you that I advised her not to accept that position. I told her I’ve been in the game and I know it and I told her that if she had another option like going to the Supreme Court, she should rather accept that, but she told me candidly, as for her, she is available to serve the nation in any capacity and she got there and these are the results. It’s the same advice I’ll give to Jean Adukwei Mensa. If she also decides to risk it, so be it,” Mr. Bagbin added.