Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on African countries, especially the West African region, to recognise “after years of hesitation, argument or experimentation on the consensus that multi-party democracy is the most suitable form of governance structure for our continent”.

Mr Akufo-Addo made these remarks on Facebook recalling his Thursday, February 20, 2025, keynote address during “the historic launch of “A Journey in Service,” the long-awaited autobiography of one of the most extraordinary military statesmen, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, in Abuja, Nigeria”.

“It appears that we have our work cut out for us all over again to try to build and consolidate the democratic structures in our countries to gain the confidence of our populations, especially to show that the road to prosperity would be faster and longer lasting when we are democratic,” Ghana’s fifth President of the fourth republic asserted.

Recently, coups have taken place in West African countries like Burkina Faso and Niger, among others. While some opine this is necessary in the face of corruption on the part of political leaders, other pushback citing the distabilising implications of coups.

Read Akufo-Addo's entire post below:

On Thursday, 20th February 2025, I had, at the invitation of the Board of Trustees of the IBB Presidential Library Foundation, the honour of participating and delivering the keynote address at the historic launch of “A Journey in Service”, the long-awaited autobiography of one of the most extraordinary military statesmen, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, in Abuja, Nigeria.

The glittering assembly of Nigeria’s Who’s Who at the event was the perfect occasion to convey my deepest sense of disappointment that military coup d’etats have come back in fashion in our region and are seen as the answer to the instability being spread from the Sahel by jihadist activity, and by some as the answer to difficult economic conditions, or unpopular government policies.

It appears that we have our work cut out for us all over again to try to build and consolidate the democratic structures in our countries to gain the confidence of our populations, especially to show that the road to prosperity would be faster and longer lasting when we are democratic.

I called on West African and African countries to remain resolute after years of hesitation, argument or experimentation on the consensus that multi-party democracy is the most suitable form of governance structure for our continent.