Former Electoral Commission Chairperson Charlotte Osei has opened up about the deeply personal and political challenges she faced during her time in office — including threats to her family and accusations of being too young and female for the job.
Speaking at the 2025 Democracy Dialogues in Accra, hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, Osei revealed that her tenure as Ghana’s Electoral Commissioner was marred by intense political pressure, targeted misinformation, and even physical threats.
“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,” she said. “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.”
Osei described how disinformation campaigns and public hostility spilled over into her private life, shaking her family and undermining her sense of personal security. She also recalled how her gender and age were used against her — not only by political actors, but by people in her own circle.
“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,” she said. “A lot of people thought I was too young, especially because I was coming after a legendary figure, Dr. Afari-Gyan.”
But her criticism didn’t stop at domestic politics.
Turning her attention to Africa’s regional institutions, Osei took a pointed swipe at ECOWAS and the African Union for what she called their “quiet diplomacy” in the face of democratic backsliding.
“When there’s a coup, ECOWAS is very loud in condemning it. 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 growing frustration of Africa’s youth — especially in the face of rising unemployment and lack of political inclusion — is a powder keg that institutions ignore at their peril.
“Ultimately, leaders need to do better,” she said. “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.”
Her remarks were echoed by former President John Mahama, who issued his own stark warning: the enthusiastic applause for military leaders during recent transitions should serve as a wake-up call for democratically elected governments.
“Democracy cannot be sustained by rights and freedoms alone,” Mahama said, “if it fails to deliver real improvements in people’s lives.”
