A political scientist at the University of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Asah Asante, has attributed Ghana’s recurring incidents of election-related violence to a culture of impunity and political expediency among the country’s political actors.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, Dr. Asah Asante said successive governments have failed to hold perpetrators accountable, allowing violent behaviour to persist and re-emerge during elections.
“One of the things that has brought us this far is impunity. Political actors, because of political expediency, benefit from this. So when people commit these acts and win power, they don’t punish them,” he stated.
He noted that the continued failure to sanction security personnel and party supporters involved in violent acts emboldens others to act with disregard for the law.
“You saw how eight people were shot in the 2020 election. What has happened to that? We sat down here, we talked about it, but end of story,” he lamented.
Dr. Asah Asante’s remarks follow a new Interior Ministry report linking deaths recorded during the 2020 and 2024 general elections to the use of firearms by police, military, and party supporters across several regions. The report indicates that the incidents resulted in 15 deaths and over 40 injuries.
The political analyst stressed the need for both the state and citizens to demand accountability and ensure that electoral law violators are punished to serve as a deterrent.
“If we, as a society, rise and demand accountability, I’m sure we’ll go far,” he said. “We need to strengthen education that elections are a contest of ideas and choice — you either win or lose and prepare to come back. Violence has no place in elections.”
Dr. Asah Asante also cautioned political leaders against inciting supporters to engage in violence and later abandoning them once in power. He emphasised that building a culture of issue-based politics and enforcing sanctions against offenders are essential to safeguarding Ghana’s democracy.
Source: Caleb Ahinakwah
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