Dodoo, the 1987 African Games triple jump champion and now a distinguished sociologist and chairman of the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA), was elected unopposed to replace Benson Tongo Baba, who had held the post for 12 years.

But Baba complained to the IOC claiming been interference from some “external forces" which contravened the ideals of the Olympic Charter and the constitution of the Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC).
 
He alleged that Ghana's ruling National Democratic Congress party had orchestrated a campaign to replace him.
 
Baba claimed that the Government had sacked a number of heads of national sports federations and replaced them with their own candidates to ensure the election of Dodoo.

The row nearly led to Ghana being barred from competing at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
   
The call for the election forms the highlight of a four point recommendation by the IOC signed by Pierre Mero, of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) Relations Department and addressed to Minister of Youth and Sports, Abdul Rashid Pelpuo and Baba.
       
The IOC have said it will continue to recognise Baba and his Executive body as the legitimate officers of the GOC until its recommendations are adhered to.
   
The letter sent to Pelpuo said: "The NOC shall hold its elective General Assembly within six months at the latest, which will include, in particular, leaders of the National Federations duly recognised by the International Federations at the time that the National Olympic Committee's (NOC) General Assembly was held.
   
"Until the NOC elective General Assembly can be held in compliance with these principles, the IOC and ANOCA (Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa) will continue to recognise the outgoing NOC President, Mr Baba and the outgoing Executive Committee, which will be responsible for the implementation of this NOC electoral process, in the framework of the NOC Statues and the Olympic Charter."
    
The IOC also recommended that the National Federations undertake a revision of their statutes to be in line according to the rules of their respective International Federations.
   
The letter said: "These statutes should notably provide for a democratic electoral process, be adopted by the respective National Federation General Assemblies, and approved by the respective International Federation to which the National Federation is affiliated."
   
The letter also emphasised the need for a review of the "Sports Act" to comply with principles of the Olympic movement.
   
It said that "the current situation serves a unique opportunity to also review the entire framework of sports structure in the country for it to move unto a system of fair, democratic and transparent elections at all levels of the sports organisations in the country."

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