Ghana's Economy Takes Center Stage as Elections Loom

As Ghana prepares for its upcoming elections, the state of the economy has become a top concern for voters, with issues like unemployment, inflation, and corruption taking center stage .

This Saturday, over 18 million eligible voters in Ghana will head to the polls to elect a new president to lead the country for the next four years. The presidential election has attracted a total of 13 candidates, but the main contest is between two prominent candidates: Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Mahama, who served as Ghana's president from 2013 to 2017, is making his third attempt at the presidency, having lost to outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Akufo-Addo, who has served the maximum two terms in office, is stepping down, and his deputy, Bawumia, is hoping to extend the ruling party's hold on power.

Bawumia, the NPP's presidential candidate, won the party's primaries with 61.43% of the votes, while Mahama is the NDC's candidate. Other notable candidates include Alan John Kyerematen, an independent candidate and former Minister for Trade and Industry, and Nana Kwame Bediako, also an independent candidate and businessman.

Ghana is gearing up for its upcoming elections, but the country's electoral commission has faced criticism from some political parties for lacking transparency. Despite this, Jean Mensa, the commission's chairperson, has assured the public that the commission is committed to conducting peaceful and credible polls.

Mensa emphasized the commission's dedication to peace, stating, “As a commission, I am pleased to note that we have walked the talk of peace mindful of the fact that attaining peaceful electoral outcome would depend on our actions.” She further explained that the commission has made a conscious effort to operate in a manner that promotes peace before, during, and after the election. This commitment to peace and transparency is crucial in ensuring the success of Ghana's electoral process.

Ghana's Electoral Commission has reversed its decision to limit media monitoring of election results collation after facing widespread criticism. The commission's chairperson, Jean Mensa, has assured the public that transparency, responsiveness, and inclusiveness will guide all their activities leading up to the election and beyond. “As a commission, I assure you that we would continue to apply these ingredients of transparency, responsiveness and inclusiveness in all our activities through to the election day and beyond,” Mensa said.

On December 7, Ghanaian voters will head to the polls to elect a new president and over 270 parliamentarians. Voting will take place nationwide at over 40,000 polling centers from 6 am to 5 pm local time. To win the presidential election, a candidate must secure 50% plus one vote. If no candidate achieves this threshold, a second round of voting will be held.

Ghanaian voters have high expectations from the upcoming elections, but many have become disillusioned with the political process. Abdullai Jamal, a resident of Tamale in northern Ghana, expressed his frustration, saying, “We just vote. They keep connecting other communities with electricity, leaving us out.” Jamal and his community have decided not to vote until they see tangible development in their area. “Anyone who promises to connect us [to the power grid] ignores us after winning the elections, that is why we made the decision [not to vote until we see development),” Jamal said

Another voter, Ibrahim, from Savelugu, shared similar sentiments, citing the lack of electricity in his community. He warned that voters might boycott the polls if their demands are not met. “We declared the 'no electricity, no vote' because this community has no electricity, but we vote,” Ibrahim said.

Political observers are warning politicians in Ghana to avoid taking voters for granted, as the country prepares for its upcoming elections. According to Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Gadafi, a political analyst, politicians often neglect systemic issues affecting voters and instead focus on implementing projects to gain their support. “Mostly it is about the vote. They either neglect the systemic issues that are already there with the people and try to do this or implement or commission projects to show that they are still with them [voters],” Gadafi told DW.

Gadafi emphasized that voters have the final say in deciding who to vote for, and politicians must convince them with suitable policies. This is particularly relevant in Ghana's current economic climate, with the country struggling to recover under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. Ghana's economic woes have been a major focus of the campaigns leading up to the election, with both Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Dramani Mahama promising solutions.

Bawumia, an economist and former central banker, is promoting digital innovation policies as key to Ghana's economic recovery. He has emphasized the need for job creation, particularly among the youth. Mahama, on the other hand, has focused on the need for economic growth and development. With Ghana's economy currently facing significant challenges, including a large external debt of $30 billion (€28 billion), voters will be looking for convincing solutions from the candidates.

Ghana's presidential election is just around the corner, and the candidates are making big promises to win over voters. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has pledged to give one million youths digital skills, saying “All the youth, we need jobs. I am going to give one million youths digital skills in Ghana.” He emphasized that this opportunity is open to everyone, “even if you are a school dropout, we can give you digital skills.”

Bawumia's main contender, former President John Dramani Mahama, is pushing his party's 24-hour economic policy, which he claims will unlock Ghana's economic potential. Mahama questioned the current administration's job creation claims, saying “Despite the president and vice president claiming to have created over two million jobs, I ask where are these jobs?” He labeled this claim as mere rhetoric aimed at winning votes, and instead advocated for a 24-hour economy policy to create new job opportunities.

In a positive development, Ghana's presidential aspirants have signed a peace pact, committing to accept the election outcome. This pact is a significant step towards ensuring peaceful elections in Ghana. The country has a history of peaceful elections, and observers expect this trend to continue.

[Emmanuel Akwettey, a governance expert, expressed his hopes for a peaceful election in Ghana, stating, “We hope that the deliberations here would actually facilitate us going through a peaceful election under the rule of law and being able to launch a new phase constitutions, of amending our strengthening our institutions as both parties have done by stating in their manifestos would come to fruition through consensus building.” This statement was made at a ceremony where political parties signed a peace pact, committing to peaceful elections.

Initially, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) opposition party, led by former President John Dramani Mahama, had refused to sign the peace pact. They cited the National Peace Council's (NPC) failure to seek justice for opposition supporters killed during the 2020 election. However, Mahama's presence at the signing ceremony was a welcome surprise, and his commitment to peace was commendable.

Mahama pledged his personal commitment and that of his party to sustaining Ghana's peace, saying, “I pledge my personal commitment and that of my party to the sustenance of Ghana's peace. It is all well and good for us to commit to peace before the 2024 election, but it would come to nothing or be undermined if there is mistrust and insincerity. Let us work together to create an environment that is conducive for free, fair, and peaceful elections.” His statement emphasized the importance of trust and sincerity in maintaining peace during the elections.

“The signing of the 2024 presidential peace pact is profoundly significant The stakes are always high [during elections in Ghana] but we have never turned our backs on democracy because that is the path we have chosen for ourselves and it is the right way to go My hope is that we would come out of this election stronger as a nation,” Bawumia said.