Ghana’s 2024 Elections: A Step Towards Stronger Democracy
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, Ghana conducted its general elections, and our team at BudgIT Ghana had some critical reflections to share about this crucial democratic moment.
As part of our Roadmap to Elections 2024, we collaborated with the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG Ghana) to conduct a nationwide election observation exercise. Our primary goal was to enhance transparency, accountability, and the credibility of the electoral process through real-time reporting of polling activities and incidents.
We want to start by acknowledging the outstanding efforts of all stakeholders, with special recognition to civil society organisations like the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana). These organisations have been instrumental in voter empowerment and education, significantly contributing to safeguarding Ghana’s democratic processes.
This year’s elections showed vast improvements in several crucial areas. Compared to previous election cycles, hostile incidents significantly decreased. Our media partners and observers reported fewer cases of voter intimidation, ballot tampering, and violence. The overall election atmosphere was also much calmer than in previous years. However, there were a few isolated tragic incidents, like the deaths recorded in Nyankpala in the Northern Region and Kasoa in the Central Region.
The elections were also associated with the challenge of abysmally low voter turnout, which underlines the need to address voter apathy and develop strategies to enhance citizen participation in political processes.
Notwithstanding these isolated challenges, the voting process progressed smoothly. In the end, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, emerged as the victorious aspirant in the presidential elections with a landslide victory, recording 56.55% against the closest opponent and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, who recorded 41.61%.
Following this revelation, in an unprecedented move, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, on the morning after election day in a press conference organised at his residence in Cantonments, graciously conceded and congratulated the President-elect H.E John Dramani Mahama for a well-earned victory. This act by Dr Bawumia solidifies Ghana’s position as the model of political stability in Africa and stresses how well Ghana has preserved its reputation for political stability.
The parliamentary results revealed that for the second time in Ghana’s history, the ruling party will occupy two-thirds of the seats in parliament. This dynamic presents exciting moments in Ghana’s political landscape in the coming years. We can, at this moment, only watch in anticipation.
While BudgIT Ghana celebrates the progress made, our work is not done. We call on all stakeholders, especially the government, to:
- Prioritise electoral reforms that increase citizen participation and trust
- Conduct prompt investigations into documented instances of misconduct
- Strengthen civic education programs to promote informed voting
BudgIT Ghana remains dedicated to promoting accountability, transparency, and citizen participation in governance. We believe each election cycle presents an opportunity to strengthen our democratic institutions and represent the true will of the Ghanaian people. As we move forward, our collective goal is to make each election safer, more inclusive, and more engaging than the previous. Together, we can build a more robust and responsive democratic system.