President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the recent developments in the sub-region, noting that many young people have endorsed the military takeovers in some countries.

He said, though disturbing, the practice is gaining notoriety due to what he believed to be misgovernance, the penchant for many unrealistic promises by leaders, and the failure to deliver on them to improve the lives of the people.

Speaking at the 2025 Democracy Dialogue in Accra, which the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation organised, he reflected on Ghana's democratic journey and called for a bold reset in governance, accountability, and leadership.

According to President Mahama, "People are tired… they're tired of corruption, tired of misgovernance, tired of waiting for promises that never materialise."

He stated that "more worryingly, many of our young people are beginning to believe that military rule might be a better alternative."

In Ghana, for instance, a survey indicated that a growing number of Ghanaians expressed support for military intervention in politics if elected leaders abuse their mandate. Conducted by the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana), the survey indicated that 51 per cent of citizens believed the Ghana Armed Forces should take control in such scenarios.

Also, the military leader of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traoré, enjoyed the loudest applause during President John Mahama's investiture on January 7, 2025, after his party won the 2024 general elections.


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Reflecting on these scenarios, President Mahama urged African leaders to reflect on these developments as a wake-up call to the growing public disillusionment with democracy.

He added that democracy on the continent cannot be sustained by rights and freedoms alone if it fails to deliver real improvements in people's lives.

He said, "If during my own inauguration, the loudest applause came not for democratically elected leaders, but for heads of military regimes, that should trouble us deeply."

"Democracy without roads, without jobs, without hospitals, and without hope, will always be at risk," he added.

President Mahama proposed that for democracy to survive the heat of the current disillusionments among the youth, institutions must be strengthened to renew their independence and efficiency.

He also mentioned infrastructure development, education, healthcare, civic education, ethical leadership, media freedom, and regional democratic solidarity. He urged ECOWAS to take stronger stances against military coups and unconstitutional changes of government.



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