President John Dramani Mahama has warned that democracy cannot survive on the back of rhetoric alone, stressing that it collapses when citizens lose faith, leaders abandon integrity, and institutions succumb to capture.

Speaking at the 2025 Democracy Dialogues, organised under the auspices of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, President Mahama called for regional solidarity within ECOWAS, cautioning that the decline of democracy in one country undermines stability and democratic progress across West Africa.

"Democracy dies when citizens lose faith, when leaders abandon integrity, and institutions succumb to capture. But democracy can be renewed when citizens rise to defend it."

Quoting former Czech President Václav Havel, he reminded participants that “the salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart.” According to him, "The survival of democracy depends on us, leaders, citizens, institutions and for us, choosing courage over complacency."

The President also outlined what he described as the essential pillars of sustaining true democracy in Africa.

“Democracy without development, without roads, without schools, hospitals, and jobs will always be at risk,” President Mahama said, adding that people’s trust in democratic systems can only be maintained when institutions deliver tangible improvements in their daily lives.

He underscored the need to strengthen independent institutions, such as the courts, parliaments, and electoral bodies, while also safeguarding press freedom and civic space.