Member of Parliament for Akuapem-North, Sammi Awuku, has raised alarm over what he describes as a growing and coordinated effort by the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to steer Ghana toward a one-party state and undermine key democratic institutions.
In a Facebook post on Thursday December 11, Awuku warned that a series of recent political developments points to an attempt to weaken the institutional checks that protect accountability and national stability.
He urged President John Dramani Mahama to safeguard his legacy by resisting any moves that encourage altering constitutional limits or extending presidential authority.
Awuku argued that Ghana’s past leaders, including Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, all respected constitutional term limits, and he stressed that the current administration must do the same.
He emphasised that elections exist so citizens can either renew or withdraw their consent, adding that political authority is “borrowed, not owned” and should never be allowed to overshadow the will of the people. He called on the government to allow Ghanaians to freely decide whether they want the NPP or NDC in future elections.
The MP also expressed concern about what he called the “loud silence” of clergy, civil society organisations and moral leaders who, in the past, openly criticised wrongdoing in government. He noted that remaining silent at a time like this poses significant danger.
Awuku pointed to several recent events as part of a troubling pattern: the removal of the Chief Justice, the Ablekuma North rerun, controversies surrounding the late Ernest Yaw Kumi’s seat, tensions in Kpandai over another rerun, attempts to remove the Electoral Commission Chair and her deputies, and a new bill seeking to abolish the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
According to him, these actions show that Ghana is “on a slippery slope,” and he called on all principled citizens, regardless of political affiliation, to speak up in defence of the country’s democratic future. He warned that silence now could cost the nation dearly.
Awuku ended his message by urging Ghanaians to protect the country’s democracy for future generations, affirming: “I am a Ghanaian and I have a voice too.”
