Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has appointed a corporate lawyer, Charlotte Osei, as head of the West African country’s Electoral Commission (EC), the presidency said in a statement late on Thursday.
Osei, who currently heads the National Commission for Civic Education, replaces Kwadwo Afari Gyan, who is retiring after leading the EC for two decades.
The statement, signed by the chief of staff at the presidency, said Mahama made the appointment in fulfilment of the country’s constitution.
Osei, 42 years old is the first woman to be heading the EC.
She also has expertise in the financial sector and public service management.
According to Spyghana website, Mrs. Osei holds an LLB degree from the University of Ghana and was admitted to the Ghanaian Bar in 1994. She also holds a Master of Laws degree from Queens University Canada and Masters in Business Leadership from University of South Africa, Pretoria.
Mrs. Osei had earlier served as a Senior Legal Officer for the Ghana Commercial Bank and as a Company Secretary/Legal Adviser for the Unibank Ghana Limited.
In her practice as a lawyer, she has focused on corporate and commercial Law, with particular emphasis on transactions, corporate financing and restructuring, banking and finance, investment.
Ghana, which exports, cocoa, gold and oil, has won plaudits as one of Africa’s stable democracies with uninterrupted constitutional government since 1992.
The country is due to hold presidential and parliamentary elections next year and Mahama has hinted that he will be seeking the ruling party’s mandate for a second term.
That will pitch him against the main opposition candidate Nana Akufo Addo, whom he narrowly beat four years ago.