President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declared that the upcoming December 7, 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections will be the final challenge he faces before retiring from office on January 7, 2025, after serving nearly eight years as president.
According to him, “It’s been a very difficult time and most of us can see that we are now turning the corner and we are turning our economy back to normalcy and revive growth, the growth that made our economy one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in the years before the outbreak of the pandemic. We did it in the past; we will do it again”.
President Akufo-Addo made this statement during his last address to senior citizens at a banquet held at Jubilee House in Accra on August 5, 2024, as part of the events marking Ghana’s Founders’ Day.
Speaking further, he noted, “The last major challenge for me is to preside over peaceful and fair elections in December, and that is a commitment that, with the help of all Ghanaians, I intend to realise”.
He added “The people of Ghana deserve no less than to be given the best atmosphere in which to choose, freely, their next president and parliament. I intend to ensure that our reputation as the beacon of democracy and stability in Africa and the world is maintained”.
In his address, President Akufo-Addo expressed his honour for having served two terms in office, similar to his predecessors, Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor.
He highlighted his efforts in steering the country through the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, noting that Ghana is now recovering and returning to normalcy and revived growth.
The President further emphasized his commitment to ensuring peaceful and fair elections in December, stating that it is his last major challenge before retiring.
The Founders’ Day celebration, held on 4th August, commemorates the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in 1947, which marked the beginning of Ghana’s modern independence movement.
However, two opposition parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP), have hinted at possibly scrapping the holiday if they come into power.
BY Daniel Bampoe
