President John Dramani Mahama has warned that democracy cannot sustain itself unless leaders and citizens take deliberate steps to protect and strengthen it.
He was speaking at the 2025 Democracy League Dialogue, held at the Accra International Conference Centre yesterday.
The event is a high-level forum organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in partnership with the Government of Ghana to examine the state of democracy in Africa under the theme “Why Democracies Die.”
The Dialogue brought together former heads of state, policymakers, civil society leaders, faith figures, and scholars to reflect on the erosion of democratic norms, challenges facing governance in West Africa, and ways to make democracy more sustainable.
It aims to generate practical recommendations to prevent democratic backsliding and to strengthen institutions across the continent.
Recalling his inauguration years ago, President Mahama said the loudest applause at the time was reserved for leaders from countries under military rule, a reaction he described as troubling.
“That should give us a pause for thought. That should make us think and ask ourselves questions,” he said.
He stressed that democracy must deliver opportunities and prosperity to citizens if it is to remain relevant. Quoting Omar Touré, he noted, “Whatever system of government you have autocracy, democracy, theocracy, whatever, if it does not deliver opportunities and prosperity to the people, it will not survive.”
The President also cited surveys such as Afrobarometer, which reveal that many young Africans were losing faith in democratic governance.
He said it was alarming that some young people indicated they would prefer to live under military governments, warning that such sentiments pose a serious threat to democratic stability.
President Mahama urged African leaders and citizens to work together to strengthen institutions, deliver development, and restore confidence in democracy, insisting that the system can only endure if it truly works for the people.
By: Jacob Aggrey
