Akufo-Addo’s actions endanger Ghana’s democracy – Dr. Apaak to ECOWAS

The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak has appealed to the Economic Community of West State (ECOWAS) to call President Akufo-Addo to order.

This comes on the back of President Akufo-Addo tasking Members of the ECOWAS Parliament to find solutions to the region’s problems with the re-militarization of governments.

Addressing the 2nd ECOWAS Parliamentary Seminar, in Winneba, on Friday, 29th September, 2023 President also expressed worry over elites’ attempts to seize power, and terrorist organizations’ blatant attempts to subvert democracy.

The seminar was under the theme, “Challenges Relating to Unconstitutional Changes of Government and Presidential Term Limits in West Africa – Role of the ECOWAS Parliament.”

According to President Akufo-Addo, “democracy in West Africa is in danger” urging that the regional fraternity “must work even harder to entrench the principles of democratic accountability in the citizenry.”

“The attempted confiscation of democracy by elites, who engage, through legal antics, in the manipulation of constitutional rules and the subjugation of the institutions of the Republic with the sole aim of remaining in power.”

He continued that “the emerging re-militarisation of governance with the intrusion, once again, of the military on the political scene, who have neither consulted, nor received any mandate from, the people on whose behalf they purport to act.

President also mention “the wanton desire to destroy democracy by terrorist groups and armed criminal gangs, who seek to establish zones of lawlessness and the absence of freedom” as yet another danger to the region’s democratic stability.

The Ghanaian President in referring to the great British wartime leader, Winston Spencer Churchill’s statement that “democracy is the worst form of governance, except for all the others”, he stated that “modern history has taught us that tyranny, oppression, and totalitarian government do not last long. No matter how a people apparently reject democracy and civil liberty, circumstances would always force them back to embrace them.”

“We cannot run away from the fact that our Region is confronted with a difficult economic, political, social and security situation. As all of us know, despite the considerable progress made by the Community, in the areas of democracy, good governance and the rule of law since the early 1990s, which meant that, four (4) years ago, all fifteen (15) leaders of ECOWAS States were democratically elected, we are, at the moment, witnessing a decline in our democratic credentials,” President Akufo-Addo stated.

Commenting on President Akufo-Addo’s call, the Builsa South lawmaker in a form of letter to ECOWAS said President Akufo-Addo is rather endangering Ghana’s democracy by packing the courts with NPP activists.

“Dear ECOWAS Parliament, Nana Addo never misses an opportunity to endanger Democracy in Ghana.

“In addition to packing our courts with NPP sympathisers, he has appointed two known NPP activists as Commissioners of our Electoral Commission. Call him to order,” Dr. Apaak stated in a tweet.

Source: Today.com.gh