The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, has shared his admiration for a political culture in Ghana where politicians rarely switch parties during general elections, a contrast to the frequent defections seen in Nigeria.
Yakubu praised Ghana’s electoral system, highlighting its innovations and political stability as crucial elements contributing to the successful execution of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
According to Daily Trust, Ghana’s former president, John Dramani Mahama, emerged victorious in the presidential election held on Saturday, with his main rival, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), conceding defeat.
In a briefing to reporters at his home, Bawumia confirmed that Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) also secured victory in the parliamentary elections.
Bawumia stated that he had reached out to Mahama to extend his congratulations.
“The people of Ghana have spoken and they have voted for change at this time. We respect this with all humility,” Bawumia remarked.
The loss in Saturday’s election marks the end of two terms for the ruling party under Nana Akufo-Addo, which has been characterized by Ghana’s most severe economic crisis in years, featuring high inflation and a debt default.
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Prof Yakubu, who observed the election alongside Yiaga Africa monitors, commented in a brief video on the political stability present in Ghana’s democracy, as well as the consistency of its political party structures and voter loyalty.
He pointed out the determination of the main opposition candidate, a former vice president, and the current President, Nana Akufo-Addo, who had to contest several elections before achieving victory.
“Rarely in Ghana do you see individuals switching from one party to another with each general election. This is significant.
“It fosters stability. It also offers their supporters a sense of stability. There are individuals who have backed political parties for many years, so whether the party is in power or in opposition, they remain loyal to it,” Yakubu stated.
He also noted that Ghana’s method of managing results at the constituency level, inspired by Nigeria, has enhanced the efficiency of the electoral process.
In the past, all parliamentary and presidential results were sent to the Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Accra for announcement.
However, Ghana has implemented a decentralized system, enabling constituency-level officials to announce parliamentary results locally, while only presidential results are forwarded to Accra, similar to the practice in Nigeria.
He explained, “The second lesson for me is that Ghana has also learned from Nigeria regarding the management of constituency election results. Until the last election in Ghana, all results were sent to the Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Accra, both parliamentary and presidential.
“Although Ghana is not a federal system, they adopted a practice from Nigeria where returning officers announce results for parliamentary elections in various constituencies across the country. Only the presidential election results are sent to Accra.
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“In Nigeria, this is our approach, and they have borrowed this idea from us, implementing it for the second time. This is why, as you can see, the declaration of the presidential election result was much quicker than in previous years.”
Yakubu also expressed his contentment with the electoral process.
He remarked, “We are thankful that the election has proceeded very well. The process and its outcomes thus far have been commendable, and we continue to support our colleagues in Ghana’s Electoral Commission.”
