Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama, has called on African leaders to tackle challenges threatening democratic governance on the continent. Delivering a keynote address at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 64th Annual General Conference in Lagos, Mahama highlighted Ghana’s struggles with democratic governance, citing a recent Afrobarometer survey.
The survey revealed a growing trend of disillusionment with democracy among the youth, who increasingly favour military rule as a temporary solution to civilian leaders’ shortcomings. Mahama shared alarming statistics from Ghana, noting that most citizens have lost trust in democratic institutions.
He noted that time is running out to make crucial decisions that will inspire hope in the future of democratic governance. The NDC flagbearer stressed that these findings indicate a decline in trust in democratic governance, serving as a wake-up call for African leaders to address the complex issues threatening progress on the continent.
“Time is running out to make the most crucial decisions that will once again inspire hope in the future of our democratic governance. Let me share a few examples from my own country Ghana. According to the latest Afrobarometer survey, an overwhelming 83% of Ghanaians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.”
“Additionally, 85% of Ghanaians rate the country’s economy as bad. While 72% described their personal living conditions from fairly bad to bad. About 55% of Ghanaians say they have lost trust in our Ghanaian Parliament. 53% have lost trust in the presidency.”
“Moreover, 77% believe the government is not doing enough to fight corruption and 64% feel that the government is failing to improve the economy. Another revealing statistic is that 22% of Ghanaians agree that the country will be better off under military rule.
“These figures indicate a significant decline in trust in a democratic country like Ghana, which is a wake-up call for all of us. The African continent today is grappling with a range of complex issues that are threatening to derail our progress.”
