In what has been adjudged one of the smoothest elections in the history of Africa’s democracy, Ghanaians trooped out to vote in the Parliamentary and Presidential elections.
The election saw citizens show interest more than ever in electing leaders with an increase of more than 2million registered voters from 2016. Almost 17m people voted in the election, in a process that has been hailed across the continent.
On @NewsCentralTV‘s Village Square Africa, Antony Goldman, a former African Editor of the Finacial Times and Michael Nketiah, a journalist from Ghana discussed the intricacies of the Presidential election and how important the process is to the continent.
Nketiah admitted that the nature of the campaign run by the two leading candidates; John Mahama of the NDC and Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP was instrumental in the turnout that was seen. He said both candidates campaigned based on issues on the ground in the country, projects, actions and inactions and promised what they will do if elected.
“Both candidates had an issues-based campaign and it was smooth, and Ghanaians enjoyed it. In the past, campaigns were often based on tribal and ethnic issues, ” Nketiah said.
Goldman on his part said Ghana has always had the potential to emerge as a giant of democracy in Africa, going by how it has planned its government since 1992.
The 2020 General election is the 8th since 1992. The seven previous elections has produced 5 Presidents.
Leading to the election, both candidates signed a peace pact to ensure their supporters don’t cause mayhem during and after the election. Both candidates have preached vigilance and peace.
Nketiah said incumbent Akufo-Addo did more work in encouraging Ghanaians to vote while Mahama looked to work on the cracks that led to his ouster from office in 2016.
Goldman said, unlike in Guinea and Ivory Coast and Tanzania, where some sort of autocracy has held sway, Ghana can be the democratic poster nation of the continent moving forward.