That “Ghana is bigger than any of its citizens”, is indisputable. No matter who you are in Ghana, you cannot take the law into your own hands and do as you pleased – Democratic power does not lie in the gun (i.e., the armed forces) you control; the real power lies in the minds of the people of Ghana!
In a surprising turn of events, President Nana Addo has made a remarkable u-turn, promising to transfer political power to whoever wins the December 7 election. This shift comes after his and his party (NPP)’s long avowed position not to hand over power to the opposition NDC even if they lose in the December elections, a move that has sparked domestic outrage and international concerns about the state of Ghana’s democracy.
Public statements on this position by President Addo and prominent members of his government and actions of the EC raised alarms both within Ghana and abroad, about the perceived or potential rigging of the elections by the NPP government, thus forcing the opposition to assure Ghanaians that preparations are far advanced to prevent the subversion of the will of Ghanaians in the upcoming elections. With the President and his party resolved not to hand over power even if they lose, and with the opposition prepared to prevent this at all cost, post-election crisis looms; Ghana’s near-maturity democracy is threatened, and the ordinary citizen of Ghana is left in despair.
Aside the elections approach, recently, the U.S issued a stern warning that any leader that tries to toy with Ghana’s democracy will be slapped with U.S visa restrictions, including their families — a move, which, I bet you, U.K would follow suit. Implicitly, such people will face serious repercussions!
The diplomatic pressure from the U.S appears to have caused uneasiness in the camp of President Nana Addo, VP Bawumia, Bryan Akyeampong, Lord Commey, Wontumi and the others, forcing the president to convey the change of mind (or false message of change of mind) of the “Conspirators” to the Ghanaian people and the international community that he will respect the results of the election and ensure a smooth transfer of power regardless of the outcome of the elections.
This move is nothing more or less than “acquiescing to the U.S pressure and swallowing the bitter spill.” It is a demonstration that “man pass man” and “obiara wo no master”! This sends a powerful message that if you are a leader, you are not God, you are accountable to the people and you will surely have to account for your stewardship – the balance between power and democratic principles. It underscores the power of international pressure in shaping the course of national politics. A leader has a duty to maintain democratic norms as well as respecting the powerful force of domestic and global expectations for fairness and transparency in governance.
By this assurance, President Nana Addo has attempted to assure all and sundry of his dedication to Ghana’s stability, but is he going to walk the talk? Well, to be forewarned, is to be forearmed. His pledge will be under close scrutiny by all, internally and internationally BUT let it be emphasised that U.S will not fail to do what it says it will do and vice-versa. Let it be reiterated, also, that the December election is a crucial election for Ghanaians – the prevailing conditions support this assertion – we have the worst economy since independence, inflation is so high, the rate of unemployment is ubearable, our democratic tenents have been supressed with tyranny on the rise, our sources of livelihood – land , water bodies, the environment have been destroyed by the Chinese authorised by the President Nana Addo and Bawumiah government, we can’t service our public debt, and the worse of all, there are no plans for a solution.
President Nana Addo’s pledge is a bitter pill for him and his colleagues who share the same ambition but that is the requisite position, there is no any other choice! It would be advisable that President Nana Addo does not aim to be merely paying lip service to Ghanaians with his pledge but truly take pragmatic measures alongside the EC to ensure a smooth transfer of power in Ghana in 2025, otherwise the consequenses will be dire for all Ghanaians, including him.
May God bless the People Of Ghana,
May God bless Ghana.
Thomas Elleamo Yankey,
International Relations Consultant,
Atlanta, U.S.A
Thomasyankey@gmail.com.
