Former Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to safeguard Ghana’s democratic institutions and preserve national unity, warning that the weakening of state institutions could undermine public trust and stability.
In a New Year address to Ghanaians, Dr. Bawumia congratulated President Mahama on his first year in office but stressed that the mandate given to him by the electorate comes with a “sacred trust” that must not be compromised.
“The Ghanaian people have bestowed a sacred trust on him and he cannot afford to fail them,” Dr. Bawumia said, urging the President to “guard jealously the peace, stability and unity of our nation.”
He expressed concern about what he described as growing security challenges and democratic fragility, citing Ghana’s drop in the 2025 Global Peace Index from 4th to 7th in Sub-Saharan Africa and from 55th to 61st globally.
Dr. Bawumia also criticised what he termed the politicisation of democratic institutions, pointing specifically to the circumstances surrounding the removal of Ghana’s third female Chief Justice.
“When institutions are weakened, democracy is weakened. When institutions are politicised, trust is lost,” he cautioned, adding that Ghana’s democracy must never be sacrificed for “short-term political advantage.”
He urged the government to take public concerns about national cohesion seriously, noting that shaken confidence makes national progress more difficult.
