A professional engineer and risk management consultant and member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abeiku Hayford, has called for comprehensive security vetting in the appointment of a new Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC) following the resignation of the incumbent.

Dr Bossman Asare, in charge of Corporate Services, has resigned as a Deputy Commissioner of the EC. The announcement was made on Monday, June 15.

Speaking on the resignation, Mr Hayford stressed that the successor must be a neutral figure devoid of political affiliation, emphasising the need for strict background checks to safeguard the credibility of Ghana’s electoral management system.

He urged that the National Intelligence Bureau be tasked to conduct thorough vetting to ensure that the prospective appointee has no political party ties that could compromise impartiality in the discharge of duties.

"We can task the National Intelligence Bureau, whoever is going for Bossman Asare's portfolio, I think we need to do a thorough investigation about them. We actually have to go back to the various political parties to see whether the person is a card-bearing member of any of the parties. Because at the end of the day, if the person has a particular link to any of the political parties, it will cause us a lot," he said while discussing the issue on Tamale-based Kesmi Fm on Wednesday, June 17.

"I know the president is going to do that. I trust him, and I know he will deliver on this," he added.

According to him, the integrity of the Electoral Commission hinges on the neutrality of its leadership, particularly at the deputy commissioner level, which plays a critical role in election administration and oversight.

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He expressed confidence in the President’s judgment, stating that he believes the appointing authority will act in the national interest to select the right candidate for the position.