Odeneho Kwaku Appiah, a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) popularly known as Chairman Coka, has proposed a major reform in how Ghana’s Inspector-General of Police (IGP) is selected.
According to him, police officers should be given the right to vote for their own IGP rather than having the position filled by presidential appointment.
Chairman Coka believes this change would insulate the police service from political interference and ensure that the IGP remains loyal to the institution rather than the government of the day.
His comments were made in reaction to ongoing frustrations over the unresolved parliamentary election results in the Ablekuma North Constituency in the Greater Accra Region. Coka expressed concern over what he sees as the inability of the police to facilitate the declaration of results.
In a social media post, he wrote:
“I was sad when I saw the ‘Mighty’ minority marched to send a petition to the IGP on the non declaration of Ablekuma north constituency. So the police cannot provide security to the Electoral Commission to declare the winner of the Ablekuma North Constituency. Mr. IGP, please, Ablekuma north people need a representative in parliament. That’s why I support that policemen and women should be allowed to vote on who becomes the IGP. God bless Ghana. Coka, l care.”
His remarks have sparked debate about the role and independence of the police in Ghana’s democratic process.
Currently, the Inspector-General of Police is appointed by the President in accordance with the Constitution. The most recent appointment saw Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohuno sworn in as the 31st IGP by President John Dramani Mahama on March 14, 2025.
Coka’s suggestion calls for a fundamental shift in this long-standing tradition, arguing that internal elections would foster greater accountability and independence within the police service.
