By Issah Olegor
The NationalDemocratic Congress (NDC) has appointed Mahdi Jibril as its new Acting Director of Elections and Information Technology, replacing the late Dr Edward Kofi Omane Boamah who died in the ill-fated helicopter crash on August 6, 2025. The appointment of Mahdi Jibril effectively sidelines Sofo Rashid Tanko-Computer, who has been acting in that capacity since the death of Dr Omane Boamah.
Tanko-Computer’s replacement is said to have something to do with the internal politics of the NDC as he is believed to be Haruna Iddrisu, Education Minister’s boy.
The decision, which takes immediate effect, was reached after deliberations and consensus at a Functional Executive Committee (FEC) meeting held on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, and was formally communicated in a letter signed by the General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey.
The appointment comes at a critical time for the governing party as it intensifies preparations for major internal restructuring ahead of its National Delegates Conference scheduled for December 19, 2026, where new national officers are expected to be elected.
According to the party, Mahdi Jibril was selected based on his experience, competence, and deep commitment to the NDC’s organisational objectives, with leadership expressing confidence that his elevation will strengthen the party’s electoral operations ahead of both internal contests and the next national election cycle.
Under his new mandate, Mahdi Jibril will oversee all election-related activities, including electoral strategy, data systems, IT operations, and the overall management of the party’s election infrastructure.
He is expected to work closely with the General Secretary, the FEC, the National Executive Committee, and other relevant directorates in ensuring that the party’s electoral duties are carried out effectively in accordance with the NDC Constitution and regulations.
The General Secretary clarified that the role is acting in nature and will remain in force until further notice.
Although the party’s official statement focuses on competence and organisational readiness, sources within the NDC suggest the change also reflects dissatisfaction with the previous arrangement under Tanko-Computer, who has been serving as Deputy Director of Elections under Dr Omane Boamah and was often the public face of the directorate.
Party insiders argue that Tanko-Computer, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), holds an existing government appointment and therefore could not realistically be positioned for additional sensitive party responsibilities, especially as the NDC itself has recently reinforced rules requiring government appointees to resign at least six months before contesting for party office.
Within the party’s internal structure, Mahdi Jibril is widely described as the operational backbone of the Elections Directorate, with longstanding involvement in election planning and ground coordination.
Sources claim much of the behind-the-scenes election work in recent cycles has been driven by Mahdi alongside IT specialist Yayra Koku, now Executive Secretary of National Identification Authority, NIA, while Tanko-Computer was often deployed as the spokesperson to engage the media.
The arrangement, insiders say, created a leadership gap, prompting the party at one stage to bring in the late Dr Omane Boamah for strategic leadership, although operational execution was largely handled by Mahdi and his team.
Mahdi Jibril previously served as Deputy Director of Elections and IT, playing a key role in coordinating election-related communications and strategy.
During the 2024 general elections, he publicly emphasised the importance of strategic messaging and credited senior party communicators for shaping public opinion and contributing to the NDC’s electoral performance.
The reshuffle also comes against the backdrop of lingering controversy surrounding Rashid Tanko-Computer, whose public profile has been affected by an academic title dispute.
In June 2025, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) directed Tanko-Computer to stop using the title “Doctor” after determining that his claimed PhD from Kingsnow University did not meet Ghana’s academic regulatory standards under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
GTEC described the use of the title in official and public engagements as misleading and damaging to confidence in the education system, ordering him to remove the designation from all institutional platforms.
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That controversy generated political backlash, with critics calling for President John Dramani Mahama to reconsider Tanko-Computer’s appointment at GIFEC and accusing him of misrepresenting his credentials.
A formal petition was even submitted to the President demanding his dismissal and prosecution over alleged academic fraud, further intensifying public scrutiny of his role in both government and party affairs.
While the NDC has not directly linked Tanko-Computer’s sidelining to these controversies, the decision to elevate Mahdi Jibril is being interpreted by many observers as an attempt to place the party’s election operations under quieter, more technically grounded leadership as it prepares for crucial internal elections and the 2028 general polls.
