Johnson Asiedu Nketiah calls for judicial and political reform in Africa

Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, National Chairman of Ghana’s National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called for fundamental reforms within political parties and the judiciary to safeguard African democracy.

Speaking at a Democracy Dialogue organized by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Bauchi, Nigeria, Nketiah argued that democratic institutions cannot protect governance if they lack credibility and public trust. He emphasized that the judiciary must earn public confidence through fairness, consistency, and openness to criticism rather than through legislation. He noted that surveys showing low confidence in the Ghanaian judiciary should be a significant concern.

Nketiah also stated that political parties must evolve beyond acting as mere electoral machines or instruments of patronage to become permanent democratic institutions. He highlighted the constitutional role of courts in resolving electoral disputes, citing judicial precedents in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi as examples of the judiciary playing a role in protecting democratic processes.