President John Mahama has urged stronger defenses for Africa’s democratic systems, stressing that democracy can only be sustained when leaders uphold integrity and citizens remain resolute against attempts at capture.
Speaking at the opening of the 6th Democracy Dialogue on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, under the theme “Why Democracies Die,” President Mahama said democracies collapse when corruption, exclusion, and weak leadership undermine public trust.
He posed the question, “Why do democracies fail, and why do they die?” and identified five main threats; weak institutions that cannot safeguard citizens’ rights, corruption and elite capture that undermine public trust, exclusion and inequality that marginalize parts of society, leadership deficits that weaken government legitimacy, and external pressures that exploit democratic vulnerabilities.
The event was attended by former Nigerian presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, ECOWAS Commission Chairman Omar Alieu Touray, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, Ghana’s Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, senior government officials, and other African leaders.
Reflecting on Ghana’s experience, President Mahama noted that while the country has earned recognition as a beacon of democracy in Africa, marked by peaceful transitions, a vibrant media, and a resilient civil society, there are growing threats.
“Inequality, lack of opportunity for young people, monetization of politics, misinformation, and other negatives pose grave risks to the survival of our democracy,” he cautioned.
On his part, ECOWAS Chairman Omar Alieu Touray warned that any democracy not rooted in results, accountability, and discipline is bound to fail.
Source: Myxyzonline.com/Wisdom Hedezome
