President John Dramani Mahama has called for a fundamental reset of Africa's democracy and governance system, saying the excitement surrounding multi-party rule has been eclipsed by widespread citizen frustration.
At the opening of the 2025 Democracy Dialogue in Accra yesterday, the President said surveys indicated a growing preference among African youth for military rule, a trend he described as a wake-up call for the continent.
President Mahama observed that those who received the loudest applause during his inauguration in Accra in January this year were leaders from nations that had overthrown democracy.
He said this manifestation should give every believer in democracy some time to pause and do self-retrospection.
Event
The event, which was on the theme: “Why democracies die,” is being hosted by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation. In attendance are former Nigerian Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo.
Also present were the current President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, among others.
The 2025 dialogue is the fourth in the series since 2021, when the foundation launched the annual discourse as a way of constantly interrogating democratic governance in the sub-region as a means of gauging its sustainability and impact on the lives of the people.
Transition
President Mahama traced Africa’s democratic journey from the liberation era, through the “rotating window” of military coups, to the continent’s own “Arab Spring,” which saw a pivot back to constitutional governance.
The President, however, said that democratic governance, while guaranteeing rights and freedoms, did not automatically bring prosperity.
He identified the monetisation of politics, corruption, inequality, and a lack of opportunity for the youth as grave risks threatening democracy's survival.
“For those of us who believe in democracy, we must continue to take advantage of dialogues like this to see what is wrong with our implementation of democracy so that we can make a reset,” the President added.
He also acknowledged the emergence of new media where “anybody puts a camera in front of his face and can make a commentary on anything,” describing it as a new frontier that must be accommodated in the process of democratic consolidation.
Way forward
President Mahama listed five key reasons for the failure of democracies: weak institutions, corruption and elite capture, exclusion and inequality, leadership deficits, and external pressures that exploit vulnerabilities.
To renew and sustain democracy, he prescribed a five-point plan: strengthening of independent institutions such as the courts and electoral bodies; delivering tangible development such as roads, schools and jobs; educating citizens; protecting media and civic space, and building regional solidarity.
“Democracy dies when citizens lose faith, when leaders abandon integrity, and institutions succumb to capture. But democracy can be renewed when citizens rise to defend it,” the President added.
Gratitude
The President expressed gratitude to former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, whom he described as “a towering pillar whose life embodies the struggle for democracy, peace and progress in Africa”.
He quoted an African proverb - “When the roots of the tree are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.
If we deepen the roots of our democracy in our nations, it will withstand any storm,” to illustrate his belief in democratic tenets.
Relational milestone
The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, who delivered the closing remarks, hailed the conference as a significant milestone in bilateral relations.
He stated that the success of the dialogue was a powerful testament to the shared democratic vision and common destiny between the peoples of Ghana and Nigeria.
The Chief of Staff said such collaborations underscored a mutual commitment to strengthening governance frameworks and nurturing the institutions that underpinned a free and open society.
Striking a more solemn tone, Mr Debrah issued a stark warning on the fragility of democracy, asserting that it did not always perish through dramatic coups, but often through the gradual "actions and inaction of citizens."
He argued that complacency, apathy and the failure to vigilantly protect democratic norms could be as corrosive as overt acts of aggression.
Drawing from a broader continental context, Mr Debrah pointed to the troubling reversal of progress elsewhere in Africa to illustrate his point.
"We have seen tragically across our continent how promising democratic journeys can be derailed," he stated, alluding to nations that have experienced military takeovers or democratic backsliding after periods of hope and progress.
The Chief of Staff described such events as painful lessons for the entire region, serving as a reminder that the gains of democracy were never permanent and must be actively defended by each generation.
