Sir Sam Jonah Advocates for Reconsideration of Ghana's Winner-Takes-All Political System

Sir Sam Jonah, Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, has argued that Ghana's winner-takes-all political system deserves serious reconsideration. Delivering a lecture in honour of former Head of State General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong on Friday, November 13, 2026, Sir Sam Jonah said that while Acheampong's method of pursuing Union Government was deeply flawed, the underlying question about Ghana's political system remained valid. He noted that the adversarial system Ghana inherited has not served the country well.

Sir Sam Jonah questioned whether Ghana could organise its politics to give different communities a stake in government, even when their party lost. He cited examples from Asia, including Malaysia's standing coalition that brought its Malay, Chinese and Indian communities into government together, and Singapore's Group Representation Constituencies that ensure minority representation. These examples, he said, showed that it was possible to hold regular elections while ensuring that the contest for the state did not become a war between communities.

Sir Sam Jonah criticised the liberal democracy that Ghana had adopted, saying it was not fit for purpose in most African countries at their present stage of development. However, he emphasised that he was not advocating for less democracy, but rather a democracy designed for Ghanaian society. He said that elections, accountability, and a free press must remain, but that the country's democracy needed to be adapted to its specific needs.

Sir Sam Jonah referenced Afrobarometer's 2024 survey, which found that three in four Ghanaians believed democracy was the best form of government, but fewer than half were satisfied with the democracy they had. He also acknowledged that the 1978 referendum on Union Government was flawed, citing the harassment of opponents and the Electoral Commissioner's decision to go into hiding. Despite this, he insisted that the question Acheampong raised remained valid.

Sir Sam Jonah compared Ghana's failure to revisit its past to a company that refused to audit its books. He said that while ignoring the past might provide temporary comfort, it would ultimately lead to instability. He called for a period of national stability long enough to build, saying that Ghana needed a generation in which the energy spent on capturing the state was spent on developing it.

Sir Sam Jonah's comments were made at the 2nd General I. K. Acheampong memorial lecture, where he delivered a speech titled "Breaking the Silence - What Sam Jonah said". In his speech, he made the case for a more inclusive and representative political system in Ghana. He argued that the country's current system was not serving its people well and that it was time for a change.

Sir Sam Jonah concluded his lecture by reiterating the need for Ghana to reconsider its political system. He said that the country needed to look honestly at its past and learn from its mistakes. By doing so, he believed that Ghana could build a more stable and prosperous future for its people.

Key points

• Sir Sam Jonah advocates for reconsideration of Ghana's winner-takes-all political system.