Gabon coup a wake-up call for the Electoral Commission of Ghana ahead of 2024 elections - Anthony Acquaye

A security policy expert, Anthony Acquaye, has said that the coup that just happened in Gabon should be a wake-up call for the Electoral Commission of Ghana, ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2024.

In a statement made available to GhanaWeb, the security expert stated that while it appears the ingredients for a coup are not present in Ghana, it should not be completely ruled out that the country could also face any military takeover.

According to Anthony Acquaye, things such as electoral fraud continue to contribute to the coups that have happened across the West African sub-region.

“Electoral fraud largely fueled and sparked the coup due to breakdown of election rules and regulations as agreed by both parties during the election process, change of ballot papers and shut down of internet network in the country, which made it difficult for result collation. Having recognized from critical causal analysis that, electoral fraud and irregularities coupled with political, and socioeconomic factors are the major root causes of the toppled Gabon democratically order by the military junta.

“It is important to state unequivocally that this development in Gabon should be a caution or a great lesson to the Electoral Commission of Ghana to boldly mount a robust internet network system and ensure a peaceful and cordial understanding among political parties, and settle differences pertaining to policies and protocols in election processes among all political parties, who are major stakeholders to avoid any mistrust in the electioneering process ahead of 2024 general election, which equally has a high tendency to cause election security violence that can throw the country into civil unrest or chaos,” he stated.

Gabon became the latest country in Africa to experience a military coup after its president, Ali Bongo, was ousted by a military junta led by a cousin of his, Brice Oligui Nguema.

Read Anthony Acquaye’s statement below:

For immediate release

31th August, 2023


GABON COUP: A WAKE UP CALL FOR THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF GHANA AHEAD OF 2024 GENERAL ELECTION ~ Security Policy Expert warn.

The military coup in Gabon, a member state of the Central Africa Republic bloc has its own unique dynamics compare to the other four military coups that had occurred in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and the recent one in Niger all in the West Africa sub - region.

Apart from the key political and socioeconomic dynamics experienced under the regime of the former president of Gabon, Omar Bongo who ruled for 42 years, from 1967 to 2009 till he died, then took over by his son, Ali Bongo, and also ruled for 14 years from 2009 to 2023 making it a total of 56 years of family legacy of leadership, coupled with corruptions, mismanagement of public funds and resources that did not lead to real developments, therefore incurring the dissatisfactions of Gabon citizens.

Electoral fraudulent largely fuelled and sparked the coup due to break down of election rules and regulations as agreed by both parties during the election process, change of ballot papers and shut down of internet network in the country which made it difficult for result collation. Haven recognized from critical causal analysis that, electoral fraudulent and irregularities coupled with political, and socioeconomic factors as the major root causes of the toppled Gabon democratically order by the military junta.

It is important to state unequivocally that, this development in Gabon should be a caution light or a great lesson to the Electoral Commission of Ghana to bodly mount a robost internet network system and ensure peacefully cordial understanding among political parties and settle differences pertaining to policies and protocols in election process among all political parties, who are major stakeholders to avoid any mistrust in the electioneering process ahead of 2024 general election, which equally has a high tendency to cause election security violence that can throw the country into civil unrest or chaos.

Even though many people including the elites in our societies do not believe that coup is contagious due to it high emotional interest and that thinks Ghana is exceptional from coup happening. Let no one deceive itself to think that, Ghana is exceptional from military take over power and undermine the rules and regulations of our electioneering process which threaten the integrity, credibility and the acceptance of election results leading to civil unrest which trigger the military to take over. Evidence from behavioural intelligence indicates that, if any event will lead to military takeover of political power in Ghana, then it is election security violence which transpire as a result of mistrust and smash of electoral rules and regulations.

As in the case of Gabon, there is no doubt to say that, any election fraudulent, break of rules and regulations coupled with non collaborative agreements by the Electoral commission with parties who are critical stakeholders, but constantly, remains in its state of dictatorship positional decision approach which increasingly threaten the trust in the electoral process therefore endangering the peace, stability and security of Ghana.

Sign

Anthony Acquaye ( MA in Security KAIPTC)

Security Policy Expert at Center for Security Dialogue and Peace Advocacy
0556783703

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