The swearing-in of 43-year-old Emelia Affi Agbenyo as one of the two new Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission has stoked controversy following her affiliation with the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The young international development cooperation professional is on record as having served as a spokesperson for the NDC on governance in the 2024 general elections.

Since her appointment, social media has been awash with some posts she made in the past that were deemed political in support of the NDC.

A video of her speaking on a media platform as a representative of the NDC has also gone viral.

As a result, many have questioned her independence and neutrality in such a sensitive office. For many of the critics, they're particularly unhappy that the NDC, which criticised previous EC officials and tagged them as politically aligned to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have gone ahead to do the same.

But who is Emelia Affi Agbenyo and what else is she known for?

Before her appointment to the EC role, she was Deputy Director General in charge of operations at the Ghana TVET Service.

As an international development cooperation professional, Emelia Affi Agbenyo has worked in strategic leadership, corporate governance, public sector management, and international development administration.

Career path

Her experience spans diverse sectors, including inclusive governance, skills development, private sector and enterprise development, donor negotiations, institutional capacity strengthening, public sector reform, and stakeholder engagement.

As Deputy Director General in charge of Operations at the Ghana TVET Service, she provided executive oversight of nationwide operations, driving organisational performance, institutional transformation, and policy implementation.

She is passionate about inclusive governance, gender equality, and social inclusion, and has led numerous initiatives advancing gender transformation, particularly within the informal sector.

Her work reflects a strong commitment to strengthening governance systems that promote equity, participation, and opportunities for marginalised groups.

Her leadership experience spans policy design, organisational development, resource mobilisation, and managing complex multi-stakeholder partnerships.

She has successfully led large-scale national and donor-funded programmes in inclusive policy implementation, skills and enterprise development, and gender transformation.

She has managed strategic partnerships with organisations including UNDP, USAID, KOICA, GIZ Ghana, and the former Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

Beyond her executive role, she serves as a Commissioner of the National Development Planning Commission of Ghana and a Board Member of the African Trade Chamber and Education and Aspirations.

Education

Emelia Affi Agbenyo holds a Master of Arts (Hons) in Education Management & Leadership from the University of Ghana, Legon; a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Linguistics also from the University of Ghana; and is currently pursuing a Master's in International Relations at GIMPA.

She pursued General Arts at Chemu Secondary School in Tema, where she completed her studies in 2002.