For the past 30 years Ghana has set an example for the durability of its democratic political system. Elections in December 2024 only reinforced that image, especially at a time of military coups in some nearby countries, including Niger, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. Well before the final count, the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) tactfully conceded defeat, allowing a smooth transition to a new government led by John Mahama.
The main issue prompting voters was the poor state of Ghana’s economy, a decisive factor in electoral defeats around the world. Yet concern over corruption was a common complaint as well. Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) made the issue a recurrent theme in its campaign; his victory was followed by the immediate launch of a new body charged with investigating ‘stolen loot’.