Ghana's December 2024 elections put the resilience of the country's vaunted democracy to the test

Ghana's December 2024 elections are occurring during a period of extreme economic distress and high political tension. The race is primarily between the NPP's Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NDC's John Dramani Mahama. Public trust in the Electoral Commission and the judiciary is low, and the NDC has previously threatened to boycott the courts if the results are unfavourable. The country faces risks of election-related violence, particularly in the North, and the outcome is seen as a critical test for democratic resilience in West Africa.

• The 2024 elections are taking place during Ghana's worst economic crisis since the return to democratic rule, characterised by a 2022 sovereign debt default on USD 30 billion, inflation exceeding 50%, and a necessary USD 3 billion IMF bailout.
• Public trust in key election integrity institutions is exceptionally low; only approximately 30% of Ghanaians trust the Electoral Commission (EC) and the police, and roughly 35% trust the courts, while the armed forces maintain trust from about 70% of the population.
• The presidential race is primarily a contest between the NPP's Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NDC's John Dramani Mahama, marking the first time both major candidates hail from Ghana's historically marginalised North.
• There are significant fears of election-related disorder and violence, driven by 'do-or-die' campaign rhetoric, the NDC's previous statements about boycotting the Supreme Court, and existing communal conflicts in the North, such as in Bawku.
• The NPP is leveraging its 'Free SHS' (Senior High School) policy to attract young voters, a policy supported by roughly 9 out of 10 Ghanaians, while the NDC has shifted its position to promise to continue and improve the programme.
• The US State Department has implemented a 'visa restriction policy' ahead of the elections to target individuals involved in undermining democracy, manipulating the electoral process, or using violence.

APA

Prempeh, H. K. (2024). Ghana's December 2024 elections put the resilience of the country's vaunted democracy to the test. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/ghanas-december-2024-elections-put-the-resilience-of-the-countrys-vaunted-democracy-to-the-test

Chicago

Prempeh, H. Kwasi. Ghana's December 2024 elections put the resilience of the country's vaunted democracy to the test. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2024. https://afripoli.org/ghanas-december-2024-elections-put-the-resilience-of-the-countrys-vaunted-democracy-to-the-test.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Prempeh |first1=H. Kwasi |title=Ghana's December 2024 elections put the resilience of the country's vaunted democracy to the test |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=29 November 2024 |url=https://afripoli.org/ghanas-december-2024-elections-put-the-resilience-of-the-countrys-vaunted-democracy-to-the-test |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{prempeh2024ghanas, author = {Prempeh, H. Kwasi}, title = {{Ghana's December 2024 elections put the resilience of the country's vaunted democracy to the test}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://afripoli.org/ghanas-december-2024-elections-put-the-resilience-of-the-countrys-vaunted-democracy-to-the-test}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }