On December 7, Ghanaians will head to the polls to elect their new president and members of Parliament across 275 constituencies. Voters will choose between twelve presidential candidates, though only two have a realistic chance of victory; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) are the only parties which have won elections since the re-introduction of multiparty politics in 1992. The incumbent, President Nana Akufo-Addo, is term-limited and is ineligible to run again.
What are the issues?
Economic challenges and political dynamics set the tone for the electoral climate. Ghanaians are concerned most about the economy and cost of living, the Ghanaian cedi having lost about two-thirds of its value against the US dollar in the past five years. The NDC scrutinized the transparency of the Electoral Commission and delayed signing a peace pact with the National Peace Council (NPC) that would commit themselves to an agreed set of principles for a peaceful election cycle. Furthermore, an IRI report indicated that corruption, financial mismanagement, and vote buying are also major issues, with evidence of elected officials looting state assets and persistent political corruption.
What can we expect?
Voter turnout in the 2020 election was high, at 78.89 percent, and IRI expects a high voter turnout in 2024. However, the potential for electoral violence threatens to undermine the stability of Ghana’s democracy. The risk stems from majoritarian electoral systems focusing on individual candidates, where elections operate on a ‘winner takes all’ basis. For winners, a positive election result means controlling the state and accessing resources. The longer a political party stays out of power, the dimmer its future prospects become. Therefore, to influence election outcomes, parties may not only abuse available resources but also use hate speech, fear, panic, and violence. This occurred in Ghana during the 2020 elections, which cost five lives.
What’s at stake?
The frontrunners, Mahamudu Bawumia (NPP) and John Mahama (NDC), are both political insiders with experience in government. Bawumia was current President Akufo-Addo’s vice-president for eight years and held several leadership positions at the Bank of Ghana. Mahama served as Ghana’s president from 2012-2017, and lost his re-election bid to Akufo-Addo in 2016. With the NPP’s victories in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, the 2024 stakes center on “breaking the eight.”
Ghana’s democratic resilience is at stake in this election. This has implications not only for Ghanaians but for West Africa as a region, since Ghana has historically been a beacon of democracy and regional leader. Supporting a transparent and peaceful election in Ghana is crucial to prevent further deterioration of democracy, given the region’s growing instability and the overall democratic backsliding.
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