Politicians’ ambition must not supersede national interest — Ghana’s VP

Former Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has stated that in a true democracy, politicians’ ambition must not supersede national interest, saying this scenario causes weakness in delivering good governance, economic, and social dividends to citizens.

Delivering a keynote address at a National Conference in Abuja, Bawumia noted that this is more appropriate given recent political developments in Nigeria and other countries. He added that democracy is globally topical and remains relevant in countries like the United States of America and others.

He declared: “In democratic countries, the will of the people is expressed through elections, and leaders (especially incumbents) must trust the electoral process and accept the will of the people for the survival of democracy.

“Between 2020 and 2023, there have been about eight coup d’états in Africa. A few leaders have also changed or are changing their constitutions to allow them to stay in power beyond their constitutionally mandated terms.”

The former Vice President stated that the increasing fragility of democracy in Africa and across the world is a cause for concern, describing 2024 as the year of political disruption.

He noted that out of elections held in 60 countries, incumbents lost 80 percent of the elections.

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He said, “This, however, is largely on account of the increased cost of living following the COVID-19 pandemic, amongst others. We have seen major examples in countries like South Africa, the U.K., the USA, Japan, India, Botswana, and Senegal.

“In Ghana, the presidential/parliamentary elections last month and as an incumbent Vice President, I was also the ruling party candidate.

“Before the election, there was anxiety expressed by the opposition and the diplomatic community about the transparency, credibility, and fairness of the impending election. The opposition claimed that the government had a plan to rig the election.”

On the right of the citizenry to choose leaders in a free and transparent manner, he stressed that this is sacrosanct and remains one of the most vital anchors of a true democratic dispensation.

“But choosing and/or changing leaders through the ballot box, though necessary, is not sufficient to guarantee a true and flourishing democratic culture. There are several other imperatives, including often-taken-for-granted issues, that, when combined with peaceful and credible elections, enrich and sustain our democracy,” he added.

“The 2023 Open Society Barometer report established that 92% of Nigerians say it is important to live in a democratically governed country, with a further 69% settling on democracy as the preferred form of government. This leaves nobody in doubt that democracy has taken root in Nigeria. Let us strengthen it.

“Despite the imperfections of democracy, it remains the preferred form of governance that can guarantee individual liberties and rights. Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill beautifully summarizes this point in a line, to wit, ‘Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.’”