Is Ghana politically better than Nigeria?
“In
view of the happenings on the continent, and, indeed in West Africa, the entire
world is looking up to us to maintain our status as a beacon of democracy,
peace and stability”
– Ghana’s president, Nana
Akufo-Addo, in a national broadcast on December 6, 2020.
Nigeria, though hit by the
second wave of economic recession in five years in November, is Africa’s
biggest economy. That is something to cheer and brag about even though the
country battles high unemployment, poverty and inflation. However, how does the
country fare politically when compared to Ghana, our West African neighbour,
with which we share a lot in common? This comparism stems from the fact that
Ghanaians, on Monday, December 7, went to the poll in the country’s eight
consecutive general elections since the start of her Fourth Republic in 1992.
The elections are to choose the next occupant of the Jubilee House, Ghana’s
presidential villa, and 275 members of parliament. By the time you’re reading
this, it is hoped that all the results would have been out and winners emerged
for all contested positions.
I had the privilege of being
in Ghana in 2008 as a Carter Centre Short Term Election Observer and in 2009
for a two-week long BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and
Elections) training. As the saying goes, “one eye witness is of more weight
than 10 hearsays”. Yes, while there have been rivalries and several spats
between Nigeria and Ghana dating back to the 60s, the two countries share a lot
in common. Among the similarities between Nigeria and Ghana are: Both are multiethnic and multi-religious
countries; Both are former British colonies and therefore Anglophone countries;
they both have a long history of military coup
de tats; they are both in their Fourth Republic running multiparty
democracy; Despite having a de jure
multiparty system, they are both de facto
two party countries. While the two dominant political parties in Nigeria are
the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, in Ghana, the
dominant political parties are the New Patriotic Party and the National
Democratic Congress.
Both countries have presidents
who are septuagenarians. While Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo is 76, our president, Muhammadu
Buhari, is 78 years old. Both countries
are members of the Economic Community of West African States and long-time
trade partners; both countries run a presidential system of government of
four-year tenure and maximum of two terms for executive positions. Both
countries now sign peace accords ahead of presidential elections. Voting age in
Ghana is 18 just like in Nigeria. The two countries are currently facing
security concerns especially from separatist movements. While the Nigerian
government is having a running battle with the Indigenous People of Biafra in
the South-East, Ghana is facing the Western Togoland separatist movement
seeking self-determination in Volta Region.
Both countries are also grappling with COVID-19 pandemic.
On the flip side, while voting
age is 18 for both countries, the minimum age qualification to contest election
as a Member of Parliament in Ghana is 21 unlike in Nigeria that it is 25. Ghana
has more female representation in parliament than Nigeria. From the 2016
parliamentary election, out of 275 parliamentary seats, 35 of them were women.
In Nigeria out of the 360 member of the 9th House of Representatives there are
only 11 women.
Ghana’s ballot paper is in
three columns. It has the candidate’s picture, logo of the party and column for
voting. Attempts by Professor Maurice Iwu’s Independent National Electoral Commission
to have pictures of candidates on the ballot paper ended in fiasco as raft of
court judgements close to elections messed up the nomination and made the bulk
of ballot paper earlier printed useless. Elections have to be suspended and
postponed in many constituencies due to the frequent change in the name of the
candidates. Ghana has a provision for
special voting which enables personnel who would not be able to cast their
ballots on the Election Day to vote early. Unlike Nigeria which runs a bicameral
legislature, Ghana has a unicameral legislature. Unlike Nigeria which has 37
electoral management bodies i.e. INEC and 36 State Independent Electoral
Commissions, Ghana has only one which is the Electoral Commission of Ghana
which is at present headed by a lady, Mrs. Jean Mensah. Ghana’s electoral
commission has seven members (Chairman, two deputy chairmen and four other
members), Nigeria on the other hand has a 13-member Commission, (Chairman and 12
national commissioners).
There is certainty in the date
of general election in Ghana. It is December 7 of the election year. This is
similar to that of the United States of America where election holds on the
first Tuesday in November of the election year. However, in Nigeria, the
election date is fixed by INEC, not the Constitution. For a presidential
candidate to win outright in Ghana, he or she has to win 50+1 of the valid
votes cast unlike in Nigeria where the condition precedent to win executive
position such as the president, a candidate needs to score 25 per cent of valid
votes cast in at least two-thirds of the country in addition to having a majority
of the valid votes cast.
During elections in Ghana,
there is no total lockdown or shutting down of the economy. While the average
voter turnout in Nigeria has been under 40 per cent, Ghana has consistently
recorded high voter turnout of over 60 per cent. Ghana has a more mature
political culture than Nigeria, as elections in the former Gold Coast do not
record the cases of electoral violence being documented here. Campaigns in
Ghana are more issue-based than the dance drama we see at political rallies
across Nigeria’s major cities, high on hate speech and low on issues. Ghana
also has a provision for independent candidacy, a provision that “Big Brother”
still aspires for. While elections in Ghana holds for 10 hours (7am – 5pm), in
Nigeria, our election holds for 6 hours (8:30am – 2:30pm) While Ghana has to
conduct her 2020 General Election under the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria was
lucky to escape a similar fate as we have had our general election in 2019
before the pandemic even though both INEC and SIECs have also had to conduct a
flurry of off-cycle governorship elections, by-elections and local government
elections during the raging pandemic.
Truth be told, Ghana has
better political credentials than Nigeria and we can learn and borrow a number
of useful ideas from our dear neighbour. Things like civic political culture,
early voting, independent candidacy, robust political party management system,
constitutionally backed date for elections, election of more women into
executive and legislative positions, a more “genderised” electoral commission
and more issue-based campaigns are some of the useful lessons and ideas we can
loan from the land of the Black Stars.
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