According to Afrobarometer’s most recent democracy risk study, 87% of Ghanaians, or nearly 90% of the population, think that the nation is going in the wrong way.
This occurs 141 days before the country’s December 2024 elections to choose a new president and members of parliament.
According to the Afrobarometer survey, there has been a significant drop in African countries’ satisfaction with democracy, with Ghana seeing a double-digit loss. Seventy-four percent of Ghanaians expressed satisfaction with democracy in 2011–2013.
Nevertheless, the rate dropped to 51% ten years later (2021–2023), a 23 percentage point loss. This demonstrates how Ghanaians’ support for democracy has declined over time.
The Afrobarometer report also revealed some disparities between the youth and the elderly in terms of support for democracy in Africa. According to the report, the youth expressed a greater willingness to tolerate military rule compared to elderly citizens. “…although Africa’s youth differ little from their elders in their support for democracy, they express a greater willingness to tolerate military intervention.” the report said
This was evident in Ghana as well as there was some willingness to accept military intervention if need be. Comparing the rejection of military rule in 2011/2013 and 2021/2023, the rate has decreased significantly from 86% to 68%. This shows a decrease in the rejection of military rule among the Ghanaian people.
The Afrobarometer report emphasized that “…Ghana’s much-heralded reputation for clean elections has been tarnished by increased violence, with eight fatalities during the 2020 presidential polls, and President Nana Akufo-Addo has grown increasingly heavy-handed, stifling the media and eroding the accountability of institutions.”.
source: myjoyonline.com
