By Mawutodzi K. Abissath
“If you don’t know death, just take a glance at sleep,” so goes a popular Ghanaian proverb.
Without exaggeration, one can characterise the just-ended 2008 peaceful elections in Ghana as an event that sent the entire African Continent into coma and back. A simple analogy will best illustrate the scenario as it enfolded in Ghana. But it was more traumatic than dramatic!
A ninety-year-old-mother of 53 – Mama Africa, has lost all her other 52 daughters through a plague called democracy. The only surviving daughter – Ghana, became pregnant and was expecting a baby in sixteen days or so, according to the gynecologist in charge –the Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.
Until the hour of delivery, the surviving expectant mother was not only energetic democratically, but was bubbling with vigour, vivacity and vitality. Having had four previous deliveries - elections through natural means the entire globe was expecting noting but another peaceful and natural display of political maturity.
Suddenly, this energetic expectant mother had a heart-attack and was rushed to a hospital and was admitted at the intensive care unit. Then she fell into deep, deep coma. All hell broke loose. Panics seized the entire nation throwing Africa in a state of helplessness and hopelessness.
‘Oh, Ghana, my only surviving daughter in whom I have faith, is this how you are going to end my life?” the desperate Mama Africa lamented. Into the empty air went the dejected arms of the poor woman, whirling and wailing in uncontrollable pain of a mother.
All the cardio specialists cum gyno gurus – international election observers, made up of all races on the face of the earth including, Africans, Europeans, Americans, Asians and Australians gathered at the hospital bedside of this moribund daughter to save her priceless life.
The surgeons were at their wits end. They were more confused than embarrassed. “Shall we undertake a cesarean operation to deliver the dying woman of her unborn baby first, or shall we tackle a heart surgery to correct her heart condition first?” they asked themselves in awe.
Whilst the medical scientists were racking their scientific brains in the theatre, global evangelical and theological specialists across religious boundaries rushed on their knees in shrines, cathedrals, mosques, synagogues and temples to invoke the presence of the Divine Intelligence, the Universal Mind and the Supreme Creator to descend and do something before He or She dies! The Lord spirituals concentrated, contemplated and meditated. They prayed without ceasing indeed! Did God hear their prayers?
Meanwhile, the two protagonists of this whole debacle entangled in tango over political supremacy were the Hon. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party NPP and H.E. Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress NDC. While they were doing their own things, the moribund expectant mother was still under the watchful eyes of the global surgeons.
Then the surgeons decided to perform a cesarean operation to remove the baby from the womb before the heart operation. Just as the leader of the team of surgeons was about to touch the dying woman’s skin with his sharp sterilised knife, she widely opened eyes and burst into cynical laughter.
The “resurrected” woman even had the audacity to query the doctors in the theatre as to why they tied her legs and arms for no apparent reason. In fact, the way she cast a cursing glance at the faces of the surgeons was enough warning for them to set her free unconditionally. Nobody dare utter a word but to take a deep breath and heed a sigh of relief.
That was how the historical and memorable general elections of the year 2008 took place in Ghana. Those who were not physically present in Ghana might have heard of the tribulations of that election but may not be able to imagine the excruciating trauma Ghanaians and all who were in the country to witness the event live went through.
At the end of the day, the presidential candidate of the NDC, Professor John Evans Atta Mills narrowly edged out the NPP presidential candidate, Hon. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, with 4,501, 466 (50.13%) as against 4,478.411 (49.87%) obtained out of the total valid votes of 9,001,478 in 230 constituencies including the now famous Tain constituency of the Brong Ahafo Region after the second presidential run-off.
On Saturday, January 3, 2009, the grey-haired Electoral Commissioner, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, with a head pregnant with wisdom proclaimed in Accra: “…Ladies and Gentlemen: On the basis of the official results given, it is my duty to declare Professor John Evans Atta Mills the President-elect of Ghana.”
On Wednesday, January 7, 2009, the first ever woman Chief Justice of Ghana, Her Lordship Justice Theodora Wood swore the first Professor President of Ghana into office. He is President John Evans Atta Mills. The state sword, which is the insignia or emblem of presidential office, was handed-over to him by the Gentle Giant, Dr John Agyekum Kufuor. He previously took over from President Jerry John Rawlings on January 7, 2001.
Since journalism is said to be the first draft of history, it is imperative to put on record that when the then candidate Akufo-Addo and the then candidate Prof Mills were engaged in a fierce election tug-of-war pulling each other to the breaking point, thereby threatening to plunge the entire nation into a political tsunami, it took President Kufuor to just say a word and our souls were saved.
As Head of State, President of the Republic and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, President Kufuor issued a timely statement which read in part: “…I wish to appeal to all Ghanaians, especially the supporters of the NPP and the NDC, to remain calm and wait patiently for the declaration of the result by the Electoral Commission, which alone has the constitutional mandate to undertake that function.”
Those were the magic words of wisdom and reason which charmed the two combatants and saved the image of Ghana and Africa. Having gone through that excruciating democratic experience, described by some observers as an initiation or a baptism of fire and come out in peace and not in pieces as a nation, never shall Ghana disintegrate because of politics. And that was how a democratic mission was accomplished in Ghana in 2008. May Jesus bless President Kufuor and God bless Ghana!
