Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on African leaders to base electoral contests on policies rather than ballots.
She called on political parties throughout the continent to put their constituents’ interests first while in power as she opened the African Political Parties Summit 2025 in Accra.
“Policies, when divorced from the pursuit of wellbeing, become empty,” she said.
“Our people do not ask us to perform politics for its own sake. They deserve politics that translates into food security, decent jobs, functional schools, accessible healthcare, efficient infrastructure, security, and justice. They expect us to focus not just on the next election, but more importantly, on the next generation.”
The vice president emphasized the necessity of putting aside personal interests and promoting collaboration and tolerance among political parties in order to promote peace, progress, and development.
“Let’s adopt a long view… for the sake of policies and projects, and they must outlast our own political careers,” she said.
She advised leaders to create national development plans that future governments would adhere to in order to address the lack of continuity impeding Africa’s progress.
While acknowledging that leaders may not agree on everything, she said it was vital to “agree on the fundamentals” and work toward “an Africa united in vision to defy the odds,” citing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a success story.
She also warned that unrest jeopardizes livelihoods and urged both the ruling and opposition parties to maintain stability throughout elections.
The Vice President expressed optimism that the adoption of the African Political Parties Initiative (APPI) implementation framework at the summit would “help foster political cooperation across borders to address regional threats, deal with illicit trade, and respond to pandemics.”
The APPI framework, yet to be officially adopted, aims to create a platform for dialogue, build institutional capacity, sustain cooperation, resolve disputes, share ideas, and collaborate on shared priorities.
The three-day summit has brought together African Heads of State under the theme “From Politics to Prosperity.”
NKONKONSA.com
