EXPLAINER: 9 appointments Mahama must make today

The President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has nine critical appointments to make within 24 hours after the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensa, announced him as the winner of the 2024 presidential election.

These appointments are in keeping to the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845).

The Returning Officer for the Presidential Election, Jean Mensa, announced the results on Monday, December 9, 2024, around 6:00 pm (GMT). This means that the President-elect has to make the appointments sooner than later.  

The Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845) states;

Per section 1 (1) of Act 845, within 24 hours after the declaration of the results of the presidential election, as provided for in Article 63 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, the President-Elect shall appoint:

(i)                 the Head of the Presidential Staff appointed under the Presidential Office Act; 1993 (Act 463),

(ii)              the Attorney-General, and

(iii)            the minister responsible for Presidential Affairs,

(iv)            the minister responsible for Finance,

(v)               the minister responsible for Interior,

(vi)            the minister responsible for Defence,

(vii)          the minister responsible for Foreign Affairs,

(viii)        the minister responsible for Local Government and

(ix)            the minister responsible for National Security.

Also, Section 1(1) (b) of the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845) requires the President-Elect to appoint an equal number of persons to constitute the Transition Team.

The Transition Team shall include;

i)                 the Head of the Civil Service,

ii)                the Head of the Local Government Service,

iii)               the Secretary to the Cabinet, and

iv)               the National Security Coordinator.

According to the law, the Transition Team should be co-chaired by the incumbent President, Nana Akufo-Addo, and the President-Elect, John Mahama.

It further stipulates that either the incoming or outgoing president could delegate any of their functions to a transition team member. 

It remains to be seen who the two presidents will fall on as members of the transition team.