Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, has sounded an alarm on what he describes as a deliberate erosion of Ghana’s democratic systems under President Nana Akufo-Addo’s leadership, stating the role of citizens in safeguarding free and fair elections.

Drawing from his keynote address at the University for Development Studies in February, he declared, “The 1992 Constitution has been resilient for the past 30 years, and I am optimistic that citizens’ actions will defend it again.”

Mr Amidu accused President Akufo-Addo of leveraging executive power to manipulate key public institutions, including the Electoral Commission (EC).

He criticised the appointment of EC officials without broad stakeholder consultation, stating, “The entire membership of the EC is one of the public institutions Nana Akufo-Addo… hand-picked with a placid Council of State to facilitate his election-winning long game.”

Mr Amidu’s concerns extended to the EC’s decision to limit media accreditation at collation centres for the first time since 1992 and to deny accreditation to some civil society organisations (CSOs) as election observers.

“When did the cockroach ever win a case in a court of fowls?” he quipped, likening the situation to a rigged process.

Reflecting on the broader implications, Amidu noted, “The future stability of the 1992 Constitution is dependent on how free, fair, and transparent the 7 December 2024 elections are seen to have been managed.”

He warned that failure to uphold electoral integrity could deepen polarization and undermine public trust in democratic institutions.

Amidu reserved particular criticism for CSOs that, in his view, facilitated the erosion of constitutional safeguards by supporting questionable appointments and policies.

“The complicity of the EC in the disenfranchisement of the residents of the SALL appears to be one of the considerations for the alienation of Franklin Cudjoe from the diabolical intentions of the President,” he said, highlighting the need for vigilance.

Calling for collective resistance, Mr Amidu stressed the importance of both domestic and international election observers, free media access, and proactive citizen engagement.

“Let all patriotic Ghanaians and believers in democracy the world over defend the integrity of the 2024 elections,” he urged.