Ghana’s 2020 General Elections: An Assessment of the Journey and Processes

Abstract

The December 7, 2020 General Election was the 8th milestone in Ghana’s electoral politics. It was keenly competitive for several reasons, including the fact that the two key contenders had a sense of unfinished agenda and wanted to capture or hold on to power to complete what had been initiated. The flag bearer of the main opposition party was voted out after one term in power, in a manner that challenged the creeping belief that all regimes in Ghana, since 1992, have served two terms in office. Whereas the ruling party did all it could to maintain the two-term tradition, the main opposition party also did its best to drum home the message that the two-term tradition is not yet institutionalized. It was also widely believed that a defeat of any of the two main contenders may mark the end of their respective political careers, as the two main political parties would file completely new candidates in future elections. This paper seeks to examine the journey and processes towards the 2020 General Elections within the context of the global pandemic, COVID-19. The paper highlights and fleshes out all the major issues before and during the elections and offers possible explanations on the outcome of the elections.