The Presidential Candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has expressed concern that Ghana has become a poor example of democracy.
During his second day of touring the Northern Region, the former President raised questions about the independence of the judiciary and the autonomy of state institutions, suggesting that these issues have led to global disillusionment with the country’s governance model.
“Wherever I go, people outside Ghana ask me, ‘Ghana, what happened to you? What happened to Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana?’” Mahama remarked. “Ghana was once viewed as a model of democracy, but now we are seen as a bad example. Our judiciary lacks independence, and our state institutions have been undermined. People once regarded Ghana as a leader in economic management, but today our economy is in disarray.”
Mahama’s comments come amid an ongoing legal dispute involving Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin. Afenyo-Markin initiated court proceedings after Bagbin declared four parliamentary seats vacant, which the Supreme Court has since placed a stay on. In response, the Speaker filed a suit to challenge the Court’s ruling.
The Speaker’s legal team argued that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction in the matter. However, after considering arguments from all involved parties, including the Attorney-General, the Supreme Court upheld its previous ruling, declaring the Speaker’s appeal to be without merit.
