Ghana President-elect John Mahama’s supporters arrested in post-election chaos

Vice-President Bawumia, the defeated presidential candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has publicly called on the president-elect to reign in his supporters.

In Ghana, it is common for supporters of the winning party to take over state institutions, demanding that the incumbent government’s appointees vacate their offices before the president-elect is sworn in.

This phenomenon is rooted in the country’s winner-take-all politics, where the party in power gets to control everything, including jobs and contracts.

There have been similar attacks during previous transitions – a development which civil society has condemned.

The police have warned all individuals and groups engaging in violence, saying they will not tolerate any form of lawlessness.

So far 106 people have been arrested, including nine who were arrested on Tuesday over the burning of an electoral commission office in the Eastern Region.

The Ghanaian army has also cautioned the public against attempts to disarm soldiers, following incidents of groups targeting those deployed to support the police to maintain order in the country.

“The Ghana Armed Forces wishes to caution that military personnel on authorised duty have the right to defend themselves, innocent civilians, and property, including the use of lethal force, if necessary to preserve life,” said a statement signed by Brig Gen E Aggrey-Quarshie.

Catholic bishops have condemned the violence as “unacceptable and go against the core values of peace, unity, and respect for life that we, as a nation, hold dear”.

They have urged political leaders to take responsibility for the actions of their followers.

In a live broadcast on Tuesday night, Mahama condemned the acts of vandalism and urged his supporters to exercise restraint, while also calling on the outgoing administration and security agencies to take immediate action.

“Because state power is still in the hands of the present administration, I call on the president and security agencies to act decisively to curb the ongoing acts of lawlessness immediately,” he said.

Mahama is due to be sworn in on 7 January 2025.