9 in 10 Ghanaians believe that country is going in the wrong direction – Afrobarometer

Latest democracy risk report by Afrobarometer has indicated that 87% representing (almost) 9 in every 10 Ghanaians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.

This comes 141 days to the 2024 December polls to select a new President and parliamentarians for the country.

Details of the Afrobarometer report suggested a massive decline in democracy satisfaction among countries in Africa, with Ghana experiencing a double digit decline. In 2011/2013, the percentage of Ghanaians that were satisfied with democracy stood at 74%.

However, 10 years later (2021/2023), the rate has decreased to 51% indicating a 23 percentage points decline. This shows a decreasing popularity of democracy among Ghanaian folks over the years.

The Afrobarometer report also revealed some disparities between the youth and the elderly in terms of support for democracy in Africa. According to the report, the youth expressed a greater willingness to tolerate military rule compared to elderly citizens. “…although Africa’s youth differ little from their elders in their support for democracy, they express a greater willingness to tolerate military intervention.” the report said

This was evident in Ghana as well as there was some willingness to accept military intervention if need be. Comparing the rejection-of-military rule in 2011/2013 and 2021/2023, the rate has decreased significantly from 86% to 68%. This shows a decrease in the rejection of military rule among the Ghanaian people.

The Afrobarometer report emphasised that, “…Ghana’s much heralded reputation for clean elections has been tarnished by increased violence, with eight fatalities during the 2020 presidential polls, and President Nana Akufo-Addo has grown increasingly heavy-handed, stifling the media and eroding the accountability of institutions”.