…Ex-Ghana VP reveals why he conceded defeat to Mahama
…CSOs lament barons, warlords seizing political parties, imposing their interests
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, was a beehive of political activity on Monday as heavyweight Nigerian politicians gathered to brainstorm on how to strengthen democracy in the country.
In attendance include Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former governors, comprising Victor Ubong Attah of Akwa-Ibom, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Rivers, Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti, Emeka Ihedioha, Imo, Abdulfatah Ahmed, Kwara, Waziri Tambuwa, Sokoto States, past Ministers like Bolaji Abdullahi, Youth and Sports, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, State for Education, past Senator like Ben Obi, Abiodu Olujimi among many other dignitaries.
Immediate past Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia, who delivered the Keynote address said that the rising fragility of democracy in Africa calls for urgent concerns, revealing that he deliberately conceded defeat to John Mahama after the Ghana election in December last year to reduce the rising tension in the country.
According to him; “the year 2024 has been described as the year of political disruption because out of elections held in 60 countries, incumbents lost 80 per cent, largely on account of increased cost of living following the COVID-19 pandemic amongst others.
“We have seen major examples in countries like South Africa, U.K., USA, Japan, India, Botswana and Senegal. In Ghana, the presidential and parliamentary elections were held last month. As an incumbent Vice-President, I was also the ruling party candidate for the Presidency. Before the election, there was the usual anxiety expressed by the opposition, as well as 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. I believe this is a standard claim by all opposition parties in any election in Africa. Frankly, notwithstanding the above, I was confident in Ghana’s electoral process, as the Electoral Commission had demonstrated fairness and transparency. In addition to this, I was confident of winning the election on December 7, based on the solid record of achievement of our government, notwithstanding the economic challenges.
“However, when the polls closed and counting began, we started receiving the results from our party’s collation centers across the country. By 3,00am on Sunday, it was obvious from the data that my opponent, former President Mahama, had decisively won the election.
“I knew it would take between 48-72 hours for the Electoral Commission to announce the official results. I was cognisant of the tension and potential violence that could result if there was a long-drawn-out process of announcing the results.
“Indeed, the tension had begun to mount. I therefore took the decision to hold a press conference at 9am the next morning to concede the election to my opponent even before the EC had announced any collated official results.
“I was very confident that our data collation was correct. I believed that my concession within 14 hours of the close of polls was in the supreme interest of Ghana’s democracy and peace. The people had decided, and we had to respect their decision without equivocation,” he explained.
On his part, Jibrin Ibrahim, who presented the lead paper, titled: Democracy in Nigeria: Challenges, Prospects and the 2027 Elections, lamented that the most serious threat to democracy in Nigeria is the way the party system has developed.
He explained that the key characteristics is that politocal parties don’t have genuine members but barons, warlords who impose their interests on the parties.
“People are interested in access to power with no commitment to what democracy is supposed to provide.
Nigerians are becoming concern about the state of democracy and challenges it has faced. But something reassuring is that in spite of the challenges, hope isn’t lost.
“One of the problem we have had is the disruption of the democratic order by institutions that are supposed to protect it. The most serious threat is the way the party system has developed. The key characteristics is that parties don’t have members but barons, warlords who impose their interests.
“The political parties that we have had lost their identities in terms of their manifestoes and what they stands for. The moment people can identify what parties stand for, it becomes impossible to have democratic commitment,” he said.
In his welcome address, the leader of the five Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that convened the event, Otive Igbuzor, said that; “the gathering marks not just an event, but the launch of a crucial initiative aimed at tackling the pressing challenges that threaten the very foundation of democracy in our country.
“As conveners, we have assembled to address the complexities and setbacks Nigeria’s democratic system currently faces, with the purpose of finding actionable solutions that can restore and strengthen our national governance.
“The very purpose of this conference lies in a vision for a democracy that is genuine, resilient, and inclusive. As many of us know, Nigeria’s democratic journey, though spanning 25 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, is beset by structural and functional flaws.
“These range from electoral malpractices, ineffective political parties, and weakened governance structures to pervasive corruption and a concerning erosion of public trust. Despite decades of democratic practice, the realities faced by Nigerians today often reflect disillusionment rather than hope.
“The goal of this conference, therefore, is to reignite hope, rebuild trust, and lay out a road map toward a strengthened democratic system that serves all Nigerians with integrity and accountability,” he said.