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Surprising developments from Ghana’s 2024 elections and other elections in Africa

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Globalvoices.org 

It was a big election year for the African continent

Originally published on Global Voices

A man casting his vote. Image by Commonwealth Secretariat from Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0 Deed).

A pivotal event marking the conclusion of the “Year of Democracy” — the largest election year in human history — was Ghana's election, held from December 7 to December 9, 2024. This historic election ushered in a new chapter in Ghana’s democratic journey with the election of Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as the nation's first female Vice President-elect.

President-elect John Dramani Mahama, leader of the opposition New Democratic Congress (NDC), surprisingly secured a resounding victory, winning by a margin of over 1.6 million votes. This represented one of the most significant defeats in decades for the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The outcome of this election brought an end to the NPP's eight-year rule under President Nana Akufo-Addo, a period marked by Ghana's worst economic turmoil in years, soaring inflation, and a debt default. This victory also marks a return to power for President-elect Mahama, who previously served as president from 2012 to 2017.

As noted by The Guardian, President-elect Mahama faced criticism during the campaign from those who remember the financial challenges and widespread power cuts that plagued his previous administration. While some Ghanaians remain skeptical of his leadership, many Ghanaians chose him over Mahamudu Bawumia, leader of the NPP, because of the ongoing economic crisis, mounting public debt, corruption scandals, the menace of illegal mining (galamsey), and the introduction of new taxes and levies despite widespread public opposition.

Election results and what they means

Ghana has a population of over 34 million. Voter turnout was relatively low at 60.9 percent (approximately 18.8 million votes), which is a sharp drop from the 79 percent turnout in the 2020 election. As confirmed by the Electoral Commission, of the 18,774,159 registered voters, 11,430,531 valid votes were cast, while 239,101 ballots were rejected. Mahama secured 56.55 percent of the valid votes, representing 6,328,397, while Dr. Bawumia garnered 41.61 percent, or 4,657,304 of the valid votes.

In the parliamentary race for 276 available seats, the NDC won 185 seats, gaining 48 seats compared to the 2020 elections, while the NPP won only 80 seats, reflecting a loss of 57 seats.

As noted by a Facebook user, President-elect Mahama will wield unprecedented power over the next four years. He is set to become the Supreme Leader of Ghana with authority far exceeding what the constitution originally envisioned. The constitution of Ghana requires that at least one-third of all members of parliament be present to form a quorum for conducting business and making decisions. Following the 2024 elections, the NDC holds more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats. This means that even if the NPP (the minority) refuses to attend parliamentary sessions, the NDC (the majority) can still conduct business and pass laws.

Additionally, with this overwhelming majority in parliament, the NDC does not need opposition parties to pass legislation or make critical decisions. The president, with more than a two-thirds majority in parliament, can also decide to remove the chief justice, EC chair, and any other person whose position may need a two-thirds majority to vote and be removed from office.

The constitution likely never anticipated such a scenario — one party holding more than two-thirds of parliament and the far-reaching implications of such dominance.

Election challenges

Ghana’s election was deemed successful, but it faced several challenges. Political party supporters gathered at nine collation centers, damaging election materials and delaying the count of presidential and parliamentary votes. There were multiple reports of violence and fake ballot papers being discovered.

Prominent journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni highlighted some of these issues on X (formerly Twitter):

Similarly, journalist Berla Mundi shared her observations: 

Social media played a significant role in the election, with politicians using it to campaign and connect with voters. However, it was also a tool for spreading misinformation before, during, and after the elections. In one instance, the results for a constituency were photoshopped, as shown in this tweet:

In another instance, a viral video featured a civilian man impersonating a member of the Ghana Navy, making false claims about President-elect Mahama.

In response to the challenges of misinformation, a coalition of civil society organizations known as the Ghana Fact-Checking Coalition launched a major initiative to combat disinformation before the elections. 

While Ghana’s election saw the historic election of the nation’s first female Vice President-elect, the representation of women candidates in Parliament showed only marginal improvement compared to the 2020 election. In 2020, 40 women — 20 from each of the two major parties — were elected. In 2024, this number increased to 41, with 32 women from the NDC and 9 from the NPP.

Trends from other elections in Africa

Across more than a dozen presidential and parliamentary elections that took place in Africa last year, in addition to Ghana, surprising developments unfolded in about six other countries.

While Senegal saw little-known opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye emerge as Africa’s youngest president, Botswana marked a historic shift by electing Duma Boko, an opposition leader, for the first time in nearly 60 years, ending decades of single-party dominance.

The self-declared republic of Somaliland and Mauritius also witnessed opposition victories. In Mauritius, the governing party suffered a landslide defeat. The Alliance Lepep coalition, led by Pravind Jugnauth of the Militant Socialist Movement, secured only 27 percent of the vote and was reduced to just two seats in parliament. Meanwhile, the opposition Alliance du Changement swept 60 of the 66 available seats — one of the most complete political transformations imaginable.

However, in South Africa, the opposition fell short of victory, but the African National Congress (ANC) — in power since 1994 when Nelson Mandela became president after apartheid — failed to secure an outright majority. For the first time, the ANC was forced to form a coalition government. Similarly, Namibia's elections made history with the election of its first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. Although the ruling party retained power, it suffered its worst-ever parliamentary performance, losing 12 of its 63 seats and barely maintaining a majority. The opposition has since rejected the results, citing irregularities and logistical issues.

These election outcomes, coupled with widespread protests across the continent, highlight a shifting dynamic among African voters. Increasingly, citizens are prioritizing accountability and performance over party loyalty, using their votes and voices to demand change from governments that fail to address corruption, inefficiency, and unmet promises.

President-elect Mahama, who will be sworn in on January 7, 2025,  told VOA that his administration will focus on reducing inflation, stabilizing the economy, lowering the deficit, cutting expenditure, and increasing revenues. As Ghana's new leader assumes office with the other newly elected African presidents, the message from the electorate is clear: the same people who voted them into power will not hesitate to vote them out if they fail to deliver on their promises. 

Written by Zita Zage