Politics
REVIEW: Nigeria’s Jonathan, Liberia’s Weah…the last 5 African presidents who lost re-election
Published
1 year agoon
In most sports, a reigning champion usually comes into tournaments as one of the favourites for the prize. Still, it hardly is a back-to-back victory guaranteed, particularly in recent history, except in the unique case of the Egypt national football team that won the African Cup of Nations three times consecutively in 2006, 2008, and 2010, and rear performances by Spanish teams Real Madrid and Sevilla, which also both dominated European club football competitions for three straight seasons at different levels in the last decade.
The case is quite different in politics, as most incumbents are like the referenced football teams which go into contests as favourites but, in their case, hardly ever lose. It is so hard to find a sitting president who loses an election, largely because of what is loosely called ‘power of incumbency’, which is diplomatic speak for abuse of the instrumentalities of state power.
In this piece, we present five instances of this rare occurrence in recent history. And yes, former United States President Donald Trump is not on the list; the focus is on Africa here. The incidence of incumbent losses in elections in Africa dates back to 1967 when Abdulrashid Ali Shermake defeated incumbent President Aden Abdullah Daar in Somalia. A couple of other experiences were recorded in the 1990s, notably in 1991 when Frederick Chiluba of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy defeated incumbent Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda of the United National Independence Party (UNIP), who had been in power since 1964. Nicephore Soglo defeated incumbent Mathieu Kerekou in the Benin Republic in 1991, while the Congo DR, and Malawi also had their fair share of the experience.
Now let’s consider the last five times an African president has been unseated.
1. Tunisia’s Moncef Marzouki
In the country’s first presidential election since independence from France in 1956, and four years after the country’s uprising ignited the Arab Spring, veteran Tunisian politician, Beji Caid Essebsi, in 2014 defeated interim leader of Tunisia, Moncef Marzouki, after securing 5.68% of the vote in the run-off, defeating caretaker president, Moncef Marzouki (44.32%). After Tunisia’s 2011 revolution, which introduced democracy, an elected assembly appointed Marzouki as the interim president to oversee the transition to a new constitution. He was in power for three years until 2014 when he lost out. He now lives in France as a known critic of the incumbent president, and was sentenced for conspiring against state security in 2021.
2. Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan
After sixteen years of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), being in power following the return to civil rule in 1999, Goodluck Jonathan became a victim of the united opposition force in Nigeria’s 2015 election. A 2013 merger of four political parties: the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) produced the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to dislodge PDP’s Jonathan’s, which had prided itself as Africa’s biggest party. Jonathan was defeated by perennial contender, Muhammadu Buhari, who scored 15,424,921 votes, which was 53.96% of total votes cast. Jonathan, the incumbent, ended as runner-up with 12,853,16 (44.96%). He was commended for conceding defeat by congratulating Buhari through a phone call before the final announcement. He also did not contest the results at the election tribunal. Jonathan is now a respected voice within the continent as a peace and democracy ambassador. He has been involved in peace and democratic transition talks for the African Union and ECOWAS in Ethiopia and Guinea, among others.
3. Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh
This is arguably the most shocking result on our list. In 2016, Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh, who once claimed a “billion-year” mandate to rule, was forced out of office as his Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction was defeated by Adama Barrow’s United Democratic Party in an election that marked the first change of presidency in the country since a military coup in 1994, and the first transfer of power by popular election since independence from Britain in 1965. The election dubbed, “one of the biggest election upsets West Africa has ever seen” in a BBC report, saw the incumbent president score 208,487 votes, which was 39.64% of total votes, while the winner and current president, Barrow, had 227,708 (43.29%). Jammeh would later reject the results and call for a new election, sparking a constitutional crisis and unrest, which, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, made around 45,000 people flee to Senegal and at least another 800 people flee to Guinea-Bissau. Barrow was eventually sworn in as president on Gambian soil at the embassy in Senegal. Jammeh left the country in an ECOWAS-arranged exile. He now lives in France.
4. Ghana’s John Mahama
The year 2016 was probably one for political underdogs as the continent witnessed another defeat of the sitting president in West Africa, Ghana, with Nana Akufo-Addo winning a tightly contested presidential election against President John Mahama. Sixteen people expressed interest in the country’s top job, thirteen of whom were disqualified due to incorrect filing procedures, including former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.
With 53.85% of the vote, Mr. Akufo-Addo was declared the winner by Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC), with Mr. Mahama receiving 44.40%. There was a 68.62% turnout. Mahama has had other attempts to return as Ghana’s president, as he contested again in the 2020 election, but Akufo-Addo edged it again with 51.6% of the vote. He remains a presidential hopeful ahead of next year’s election. This time his chances may well be brighter as his arch-rival— Akufo— is constitutionally forbidden to contest after a two-term reign.
5. Liberia’s George Weah
If politics were football, George Weah might have been lucky, but the former football star—the only African with the prestigious Ballon d’Or award—lost his second-term bid as Liberia’s president. The latest “kid” in the losing presidents’ block faced what was somewhat of a political revolt as his once-darling Liberians decided to choose an establishment politician, Joseph Boakai, over him in the election held last month. Weah held a slim lead at 43.83% of the vote, while Boakai had 43.44%, according to tallied results from 100% of polling places in the first round, forcing a run-off in which Boakai defeated Weah by just over one percentage point in the closest runoff in Liberia’s history, with 814,481 (50.64%) to 793,914 (49.36%). The outcome is a sharp contrast to the 2017 election, when Boakai, a former Vice President, was defeated by
Weah garnered 62% of the vote.
It is curious not that in the five last cases reviewed, West Africa boasted four slots, while East and Southern Africa had no instance. While the development might ordinarily infer growth in constitutional democracy in the sub-region, it is paradoxical that it also witnessed the most military coups and ousters of democratically elected presidents in the last five years, as experienced in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, and a few other failed attempts in places like Sierra Leone and Gambia.
You may like
-
Nigeria: Marketers predict further price cut as another refinery begins operations
-
Nigeria, China extend $2bn currency swap deal
-
‘Don’t start what you can’t finish’, ex-Nigerian official replies President Tchiani
-
Again, Starlink raises prices of its services in Nigeria
-
Niger citizen knocks President Tchiani for neglecting critical issues at home to peddle rumours against Nigeria
-
Dumping England for Nigeria the best decision of my life— Ademola Lookman
Politics
Mozambique’s top court affirms governing party’s victory in recent election
Published
1 month agoon
December 26, 2024The highest court in Mozambique affirmed Monday that the incumbent Frelimo party won the October election, sparking widespread demonstrations from opposition parties who claim the vote was manipulated.
Fears of fresh bloodshed have been raised in the nation already shaken by weeks of fatal protests after Mozambique’s top electoral court mostly confirmed the results of the country’s contentious October elections, reinforcing the Frelimo party’s decades-long hold on power.
The final decision on the election process rests with the Constitutional Council. Mozambique, a nation of over 35 million people in Southern Africa that Frelimo has ruled since 1975, is expected to see more protests in response to its judgement.
Mozambique operates a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic in a multi-party system. The president of Mozambique serves as both the head of state and the head of government.
The government exercises executive power. The administration and the Assembly of the Republic have the authority to enact laws.
Politics
Alliance of Sahel States opposes ECOWAS disengagement schedule
Published
1 month agoon
December 26, 2024The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) withdrawal timeline has been rejected by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which is made up of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
The AES claims that the ECOWAS is attempting to destabilise their newly formed organisation.
During a meeting last week in Abuja, Nigeria, the regional organisation announced a six-month withdrawal period to give the three nations time to change their minds after their official departure date at the end of January 2025.
However, this decision is “nothing more than yet another attempt by the French and its auxiliaries to continue planning and carrying out destabilising actions against the AES,” according to the heads of state of the AES.
“This unilateral decision is not binding on the ESA countries,” the statement continues. Before the conference, they stated that their choice to leave the organisation was “irreversible.”
According to the president of the Ecowas Commission, this will be a “transition period” that ends on “July 29, 2025” to “keep the doors of Ecowas open.”
The three nations accused the bloc of neglecting to assist them in resolving their domestic security challenges and of imposing “inhumane and irresponsible” sanctions related to the coup.
The three nations that were involved in the coup have mostly rejected ECOWAS’ attempts to undo their withdrawal. They are creating their alliance and have begun thinking about how to issue travel passports independently of ECOWAS.
It is anticipated that they will finish giving their one-year notice of departure in January.
Visa-free travel to other ECOWAS members is a significant perk of membership, and it is unclear how this would alter after the three nations exit the group.
EDITOR’S PICK
Nigeria: Marketers predict further price cut as another refinery begins operations
Oil marketers and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority expect refined petroleum product prices to reduce as another...
Kenya: Consumer inflation rises to 3.0% from 2.8%
Kenya’s statistics agency said on Tuesday that Kenya’s consumer price inflation increased slightly to 3.0% year-over-year in December from 2.8%...
South Africa’s Transnet’s half-year deficit hits $117m
Transnet, a state-owned logistics company in South Africa, announced on Tuesday that it had lost 2.2 billion rand ($117.48 million)...
Nigeria, China extend $2bn currency swap deal
A 15 billion yuan ($2 billion) currency-swap arrangement between China and Nigeria has been extended to boost investment and commerce...
Egypt’s central bank maintains overnight rates
As anticipated, Egypt’s central bank has maintained its overnight interest rates, stating that although inflation was predicted to drop significantly...
Illicit flows cost Nigeria, others $1.6bn daily— AfDB
According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), illicit money flows and profit shifting by multinational corporations doing business in Africa...
‘Don’t start what you can’t finish’, ex-Nigerian official replies President Tchiani
Former Nigerian Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has told President Abdourahamane Tchiani of Niger Republic to refrain from making infantile and...
Again, Starlink raises prices of its services in Nigeria
Elon Musk’s satellite internet service provider, Starlink, has again jacked up the prices of its services in Nigeria after an...
Former President of Moroccan club Raja sentenced to 3 years in prison
The former President of Moroccan top club, Raja Casablanca, Mohamed Aouzal, has been sentenced to three and a half years...
Zambia announces second case of Mpox as country battles cholera outbreak
The Zambian Ministry of Health has reported a second case of Monkeypox, popularly known as Mpox, in Kitwe region of...