Page 13 - Nile Explorer Issue 12

Leaders & Politics

Ghana’s

Presidential

election

lessons for President, Nana Akufo Addo being sworn on winning second term in 2020 elections

Africa Joseph Arthur Ankrah who served as African country the pride of place as

the 2nd President of Ghana from 1966 Africa’s beacon of democracy.
to 1969 was removed in another coup
Nana Akufo-Addo has won Ghana’s d’état that brought in Akwasi Amankwaa Ghana is democratic trailblazer on a
presidential election in a relatively Afrifa(1969-1970). turbulent continent, generally one of
peaceful and tranquil campaign that has West Africa’s most stable democracies.
been celebrated across the continent and General Ignatius Acheampong led a Ghana’s election occurred as covid-19
beyond, as an example to emulate for coup d’etat which overthrew President cases in the country climbed, and only
many African countries. Akufo-Addo, Prime Minister Abrefa weeks after the death of former president
Busia and his government on 13 January
This is not to say there were no issues 1972. He ruled until 1979, when he was Jerry John Rawlings.
or violence reported—five people are removed through another coup d’etat led Ghana has produced strong leaders
reported to have been killed in election by General Fred Akuffo. like Kwame Nkrumah and Jerry John
related violence—comparative to what Rawlings. Nkrumah championed
happens elsewhere on the continent— Jerry Rawlings came to power in anti-colonial struggles while Rawlings
ihe burning of houses, the breaking Ghana as a flight lieutenant following a advocated for a people-centered
of limbs and skulls, police brutality coup d’etat in 1979, removing General development.
and killing by the bullet that often Fred Akuffo. Prior to that, he led an
characterize elections in Africa, Ghana’ unsuccessful coup attempt against the Contrasting Ghana’s poll with a string
elections were qualified by international ruling military government on 15 May of elections in Africa 2020-2021, the
observers as free and fair.. 1979, just five weeks before scheduled continent, it is easy to observe that the
democratic elections,. After handing continent’s incumbents had learnt how to
The 76-year-old Akufo-Addo from the power over to a civilian government,
center-right New Patriotic Party (NPP) he retook control of the country on 31 use violence, money and constitutional
beat his opponent and predecessor John December 1981 as the chairman of the tricks to game the electoral process.
Dramani Mahama of the center-left Provisional National Defence Council In Tanzania, John Magufuli won 84
National Democratic Congress (NDC) (PNDC). per cent of the vote in October after
with 51.59% of the vote. It is expected the opposition candidate was subjected
that this will be his second and final In 1992, Rawlings resigned from to death threats. In the same month,
term in accordance with the Ghanaian the military, founded the National Alpha Condé, 82, secured a third term
constitution. Democratic Congress (NDC), and in Guinea in an election scarred by
became the first President of the
Ghana returned to democratic rule Fourth Republic. He was re-elected in violence after a new constitution enabled
and multi-party in 1992, following a 1996 for four more years. After two him to reset the clock on his presidency,
checkered history of coup d’état and terms in office, the limit according to overriding a two-term limit.
counter- coup or coup d’état, since the Ghanaian Constitution, Rawlings In Uganda, opposition candidate Bobi
independence. endorsed his vice-president John Atta Wine has faced violence and police

On February 24th, 1966, President Mills as a presidential candidate in 2000. brutality that has left more than 60 dead,
Kwame Nkrumah, the first leader of He died in November 2020, at age 73. as the country head to a general election,
independent Ghana and champion of It is this return to democracy by January, 14 with Yoweri Museveni, 76,
pan-African unity, was overthrown in Rawlings that ushered Ghana in to a president for 34 years, is seeking another
a coup d’etat led by senior Ghanaian sustained era of democratic rule and term after removing a constitutional age
military and police officers. peaceful transition that hold the west limit.

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