The Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) has delivered a sobering assessment of President John Dramani Mahama’s first 100 days in office.

It warned that the country teeters at a “crucial crossroads” between democratic renewal and political relapse.

The governance watchdog in a press release assigned the Mahama administration a performance score of just 4 out of 10, stating that “much more is expected than has been delivered.”

In language both urgent and unflinching, the CDM called on the President to shed the trappings of comfort and confront Ghana’s challenges head-on.

“The presidency, in any democratic society, is not a throne of privilege but a platform of responsibility,” the statement declared.

“It is not enough for a leader to avoid conflict or maintain decorum; leadership must be felt through action, tested through adversity, and proven through transformation.”

While acknowledging that Mahama’s early weeks brought some political calm, marked by “his calm demeanor, initial outreach, and respect for institutional continuity”, the CDM said these optics have been overshadowed by enduring structural failings: “political victimisation, erratic power supply, fiscal profligacy, and creeping executive overreach.”

The group painted a grim picture of the broader national landscape: “Ghana’s challenges, deepening inequality, environmental degradation, judicial independence, economic vulnerability, and public sector dysfunction, cannot be solved through rhetoric, symbolism, or partisan maneuvering.”

The CDM’s message was not merely diagnostic but prescriptive. It issued a bold call to action, demanding that Mahama become the “transformational leader that this critical juncture demands.”

Among the urgent steps the group outlined were “curtailing political retribution and upholding the sanctity of the civil service,” “Safeguarding judicial independence by resisting attempts to manipulate constitutional checks,” and “Rescuing Ghana from fiscal recklessness through prudent, pro-poor budgeting.”

Other demands are “combating corruption and illegal mining with decisive, transparent action,” "ensuring energy security not through privatisation, but through innovation, investment, and integrity,” and “restoring public confidence in security agencies through lawful, accountable, and humane operations.”

“These are not just political ideals,” the CDM stressed, “they are democratic imperatives.”

The group cautioned the President that the honeymoon period is over and the time for lofty promises has passed.

“History is watching. The people are watching. The world is watching. And as the clock ticks beyond the 100-day mark, the window for excuses narrows while the demand for action grows louder.”

The CDM challenged President Mahama to break with the patterns of the past and redefine his presidency as one grounded in principle and progress.

“Let President Mahama demonstrate that this term will not be a repeat of the past, but a courageous break from it. Let him lead not as a caretaker of partisan ambition, but as a custodian of national destiny.”