Professor Etse Sikanku, a political science lecturer at the University of Media, Arts and Communication, has emphasized the significant contribution of Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia to the democratic growth of Africa through his involvement in the 2012 election petition.
This legal proceeding has been regarded by some analysts as the platform that propelled Bawumia into the forefront of Ghanaian politics, showcasing his prowess as the star witness for the New Patriotic Party.
Despite the NPP’s loss in the petition, Bawumia’s performance served as a fertile ground for the advancement of his reputation among the Ghanaian public. His eloquence, intelligence, analytical mind, and mastery of debate were on full display for all Ghanaians to witness on national television.
During a discussion on his book titled “Dr Bawumia and the Modern Vice Presidency in Ghana,” Sikanku highlighted that the election petition was the moment when Bawumia endeared himself to NPP supporters and the wider Ghanaian population.
It was a very pivotal moment in terms of our democratic growth because we became an example for a lot of nations. In Kenya, if you realise, they cited us copiously in their own election petition.
And it became such an example for the rest of the World, even Nigeria had their own version. So Ghana once again becomes a shining example for African growth and democracy that we can solve our political differences not through the barrel of gun or cutlasses or walking on the street and destroying properties but through a battle in the law court.
And so that was a good advertisement for Ghanaian democracy, and guess who was at the centre of that particular illuminating part of our history? It was Dr Bawumia.
