Ghana’s former President, John Dramani Mahama, has returned as Ghana’s President-elect after three attempts.
Mahama won the country’s presidential election after his main opponent, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat.
“The people of Ghana have spoken, the people have voted for change at this time, and we respect it with all humility,” Bawumia said in a news conference on Sunday.
Mahama of NDC couldn’t have returned if they had similar electoral managers of the Nigerian INEC under Mahmood Yakubu in place.
The defeat in Saturday’s election ended the governing of New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President Nana Akufo-Addo’s two terms in power. This period was marked by Ghana’s worst economic crisis in years, involving high inflation and a debt default.
Mahama’s win marks a historic victory, making him the first president in the three decades of Ghana’s Fourth Republic – since the 1992 return to multi-party democracy – to reclaim the presidency after being voted out.
The people are major stakeholder in any electoral process, when they vote and their votes counts, they feel the satisfaction and fulfilment of exercising their rights and by this, they can hold those in authority accountable. It will also guarantee their willingness to participate in future elections.
Elections are won via a voting process transparently not by hijacking, grabbing, stealing and running away with mandates.
Nigeria, the self acclaimed giant of Africa should demonstrate her hugeness by doing the right thing. If a supposed giant of Africa can not conduct a peaceful, credible, acceptable and fair election, then nothing giant about us. In fact, we are un-giant!
Ghana is GIANT and TALL each time they conduct their Presidential/ parliamentary elections, Nigeria look more DWARFED at every election circle in the comity of nations.
Ghana’s economic woes dominated the electioneering campaign after the gold and cacao producer experienced a default and currency devaluation crisis, which ended with a $3bn International Monetary Fund bailout.
Many policies already streamlined but on corruption, Mahama vowed during the campaign that he would create a new office tasked with scrutinising government procurement above a $5m threshold. He said unchecked procurement processes are a significant source of corruption.
With a history of democratic stability, Ghana’s two main parties, the NPP and NDC, have alternated in power equally since the return to multi-partism in 1992.
If truly, we want to be the giant we envisaged and be respected by other nations, Nigeria must learn seriously from Ghana’s electoral system that is anchored on fairness, transparency, integrity and credibility. Such shining electoral reliability must be imported into the country.
– Gbenga Bright writes from Abuja.
