In Africa, and possibly many parts of the world, winning an election by a huge margin, as done by President John Dramani Mahama can be a double-edged sword.

In my humble view, while it may seem like a dream come true, backed by hard work and commitment, several challenges come with such a victory as observed in Ghana and elsewhere.

High Expectations

When an opposition party like the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or its candidate, in this case President John Dramani Mahama wins by a landslide, as witnessed in the last elections, the public definitely expects significant changes in the country and improvement in the welfare of citizens.

Consequently, meeting these high expectations obviously can be daunting, draining and occasionally damaging and any perceived shortcomings to be recorded, as witnessed under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, may lead to disappointment and disillusionment.

Complacency

A huge victory for a political party, as obtained by the NDC in the 2024 elections, can sometimes lead to complacency, causing the winning party or candidate to become less responsive to the needs and concerns of citizens and their constituents, but President John Dramani Mahama will never fall in this trap. Knowing his leadership qualities and commitment to nation-building, he will certainly grow the national economy, improve the welfare of citizens and generally improve governance by the end of his tenure due to his experience and expertise.

Opposition’s demoralization

A landslide victory, as witnessed in Ghana in December, can demoralize the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and if we don't take time, it will weaken our democracy, and perhaps lead to a lack of effective oversight and accountability throughout the four years of President John Dramani Mahama's administration.

The reason is that the two-thirds majority obtained by the NDC can result in unchecked power and potential abuse of authority as the saying goes "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.

The NDC, under this circumstance, can only think about the nation first before anything else,  otherwise, everything will turn upside down, especially in protecting the public purse, improving good governance and guaranteeing checks and balances in government as required by the principles of rule of law and democracy.

Internal Conflicts

A huge victory, as obtained by the NDC, can also lead to internal conflicts within the party, as different factions and individuals may have competing interests and agendas considering the roles played and the expectations prior to the outcome of the polls.

Perhaps, this is the compelling reason why retired Commissioner of Police (COP) Nathan Kofi Boakye, the respected retired police commissioner has already sounded an alarm, warning that members of the NDC should not allow greed to divide the party ahead of the 2028 general elections. As to what informed this early warning, one cannot tell, but obviously, the stakes are high and the alarm bell had to sound even before the swearing into office of the new President.

Maintaining Unity

The landslide victory chalked by President John Dramani Mahama, and the NDC, can make it undoubtedly challenging for the winning party or President Mahama who was the candidate in the picture to maintain unity and cohesion, particularly if all the different groups or individuals, as already being manifested, have different expectations and demands that cannot be easily met or could tamper with the vision and commitment of the President or the NDC.

These challenges though manageable, highlight the importance of humility, inclusivity, and responsiveness in governance, even in the face of a huge electoral victory as amassed by the NDC with the youth wing of the party playing a crucial role in the determination of the outcome of the polls.

The December 2024 elections were won peacefully, fairly, and transparently by the NDC but it has numerous benefits for a country like Ghana which is still grumbling with nascent social and economic challenges.

Interestingly, the outcome of the polls, showed that Ghanaian electorates across the country actually ignored the usual partisan lines, tribal lines, and religious considerations in matters of national affairs during the elections and the decision they made unanimously favoured the NDC and its Presidential candidate, therefore confirming that indeed, Ghanaians wanted change badly and unanimously settled on President John Dramani Mahama. He will therefore become the rallying point to sustain this unity with a common purpose.

Increased Legitimacy

The peaceful and transparent elections as recorded last year, and in the context of democracy, lend credibility to the elected government, ensuring that the winner, thus President John Dramani Mahama has the people's mandate.

Fortunately for the country,  the man of the people, the man of the moment, the man of integrity and honesty, the man of humility, has been there before and ought not to disappoint the country since his experience and expertise come in handy at this crucial moment of Ghana's political history.

Improved governance

When elections are free and fair, the government is more accountable to its citizens, leading to better governance and decision-making, but this is also where the trick of disappointment could give away the victory chalked once the nation is not placed above pettiness, self-glorification and selfishness as witnessed in the past, then automatically good governance will be thrown to the dogs and party members will have a field day, leading to corruption, evidence of lawlessness and an apparent breach of democratic tenets.

This is where President John Dramani Mahama has an arduous task to accomplish to position his regime with the best legacy.

Enhanced Stability

Peaceful elections reduce the risk of post-election violence and promote stability and security in the country. This is why Ghana has always been described as the beacon of hope in Africa in terms of democracy following nine (9) successive elections carried out in the country since 1992.

The outcome of the 2024 general elections had just capped the general overview of Ghana's enduring record of leading democratic governance in Africa with an impeccable record in the conduct of elections.

Therefore, as demonstrated in his previous administration following the conduct of the 2012 and 2016 general elections, it is undoubtedly bound to happen that President Mahama’s current administration will equally conduct free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections to further cement Ghana's democratic culture.

Economic Growth

A peaceful and stable political environment, as we have in Ghana, automatically attracts investors, promotes social cohesion, and economic growth, and ultimately opens avenues for institutions and companies to create jobs for the unemployed in the country.

Although the aforementioned may not be seen happening in the open, it is the spectacular gaze of the tranquility in countries considered peaceful and harmonious as the development trajectory will indicate, therefore, Ghana, under President John Dramani Mahama will take advantage of the harmonious environment to attract investors and investment into the country.

International Recognition

The international community is more likely to recognize and respect a government that comes to power through peaceful and transparent elections hence our recognition as the beacon of hope for Africa.

Ghana is celebrated internationally because of three things, our democracy, human resources and sports.

To this end, no Ghanaian leader, including President John Dramani Mahama will jeopardize these three things deliberately, especially when the stakes remain high for nation-building.

Increased Public Confidence

When citizens trust the electoral process, they are more likely to participate in the democratic process, leading to increased public confidence in institutions. A reason many civil society organisations and the media have been on the heels of successive governments and the major political parties in Ghana is to protect all the public institutions without lowering their standards so they perform their respective functions without fear or favour.

A subtle campaign is being waged fearlessly by civil society in defence of Ghana's growing democracy.  While this remains a cardinal principle, the new administration led by President John Dramani Mahama will have an uphill task to sustain this campaign and improve the structure for the benefit of the country's governance architecture.

Reduced Conflict

For most democratic nations, it is an acceptable practice that peaceful elections reduce the likelihood of conflict between political parties and their supporters while promoting national unity, national security and social cohesion.

Examples of successful peaceful elections organised recently can be seen in countries like Ghana, the USA, the UK, and Germany where electoral officials had their efforts and integrity to ensure transparency and fairness leading to a peaceful outcome in presidential and legislative elections without any trouble or predicaments.

The Credit of Social Media and Bloggers

Strong social media platforms with the largest followings are being handled and managed by popular bloggers, journalists and commentators.

In line with activities during the 2024 electioneering campaign, they boosted civic engagement and made the campaign period exciting. Ultimately, the power of social media made the 2024 general elections very encouraging for people to participate in the electoral process.

This was measured by the number of people who showed interest in the electoral process, registered to vote, attended election-related functions, or participated in online discussions related to electoral monitoring, citizen-led reporting initiatives, and soft campaigns to direct voting patterns among others. In the end, all the aforementioned factors benefited the NDC and President John Dramani Mahama following the outcome of the polls.

Improved Voter Education

Social media, as we all know it today, can provide voters with accurate and unbiased information about candidates, voting procedures, and electoral laws.

Indicators of improved voter education in the 2024 general elections included increased share of informative content, engagement with educational posts, and reduced misinformation, especially from the governing party's end when propaganda targeting vulnerable Ghanaians was detonated and constantly diffused by social media weapons being managed by gun blazing analysts who inundated all credible sources of information with their messages to inform, form, reform and transform the Ghanaian voter into a discerning one to make informed decision on December 7th 2024.

In the end, it paid off and the outcome of the elections confirmed the power of social media.

Enhanced Transparency and Accountability

Social media in Ghana has influenced governments to promote transparency and accountability by allowing citizens to monitor electoral processes, report irregularities, and hold officials accountable.

Indicators of enhanced transparency and accountability included the many reports of electoral violence and minor incidents of conflicts among candidates across the country with increased use of hashtags related to electoral monitoring, citizen-led reporting initiatives, and official responses to citizen concerns.

Reduced Violence and Conflict

Social media helped Ghana to reduce violence and conflict by promoting peaceful dialogue, counter-narratives to hate speech, and inclusive messaging.

Indicators of reduced violence and conflict included decreased reports of electoral violence, increased engagement with peace-promoting content, and reduced hate speech as recorded by the Media Foundation for West Africa.

Increased Trust in Electoral Processes

The power of social media as used by Kevin Taylor, Captain Smart, and Twene Jonas, popular bloggers and media practitioners contributed to the increased trust in our electoral processes when they provided accurate and timely information before, during and after the polls.

It also influenced the promotion of transparency and encouraged citizen participation.

Indicators of increased trust included improved perceptions of electoral integrity, increased voter turnout, and reduced allegations of electoral fraud nationwide.

To effectively measure these indicators, it is essential to establish clearly the benchmarks as recorded during the 2024 polls, track relevant metrics, and analyze data from social media platforms, as well as surveys, and other sources of information as carried out before, during and after the polls.

In conclusion, the next administration of President John Dramani Mahama will have three cogent steps to take.

These steps are swift management of expectations of the people, experimentation of ideas as well as the implementation of tough but necessary policies and programmes that may cause exasperation.

President John Dramani Mahama will therefore consider how and why he must take the following into account to make the Ghanaian electorate satisfactorily happy or ignore them and disappoint Ghanaians to completely lose hope in politics, governance and the new administration until 2028.