Former Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, has revealed the personal threats and attacks she endured while serving as Ghana’s Electoral Commissioner, including an attempt by political party supporters to set her father’s house on fire.

Speaking at the 2025 Democracy Dialogues in Accra, organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Mrs Osei described her experience as both difficult and deeply personal.

“There were a lot of lies, and so the whole fabric of the family was affected. It’s either they were worrying for themselves or constantly worrying about your safety,” she said.

“There was a time that a political party mob surrounded my dad’s house, and they were going to burn it down because of actions they felt I had taken. So those were the kinds of personal pressures that as a woman, a mother, a daughter, a wife, and a sister, you have to deal with.”

She noted that aside from the political pressures, she also faced sexism and ageism during her tenure.

“Being female, I was told directly by several people that it was not a job for a woman. Even my own father expressed the same fear. A lot of people thought I was too young, especially because I was coming after a legendary figure, Dr Afari-Gyan,” she recalled.

Turning her attention to regional bodies, Mrs Osei accused ECOWAS and the African Union of hiding behind “quiet diplomacy” in the face of flawed elections and constitutional manipulation, while showing greater boldness in condemning military takeovers.

“When ECOWAS tells us, for instance, that their policy on good governance has zero tolerance for coups, we say yes. But when there are coups, ECOWAS is very loud in condemning them. Yet, when there’s constitutional manipulation or flawed elections, ECOWAS would deploy quiet diplomacy. That’s why the people are not happy,” she said.

She warned that the frustrations of Africa’s young population, many of whom face unemployment and exclusion from governance, should not be ignored.

“Ultimately, leaders need to do better. Institutions like the African Union and ECOWAS need to do better so they are not seen as clubs of leaders meeting among themselves, but as bodies that engage the people,” she said.

President John Mahama, in his address, warned that the loudest applause for military leaders at his inauguration should be taken as a wake-up call.

He says it’s a clear sign of growing public disillusionment with democracy. He stressed that democracy cannot be sustained by rights and freedoms alone if it fails to deliver real improvements in people’s lives.

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