Political Analyst cautions against tribal and religious partisan politics
He also advocated for public accountability, suggesting that politicians who engage in divisive rhetoric should be identified and called out.
A political analyst, Atura Ayam, has cautioned Ghanaian politicians against the use of tribal and religious sentiments in political discourse, cautioning that such practices pose a serious threat to the country’s democratic stability.
Ayam made the remarks against the backdrop of a recent caution by former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who urged members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to refrain from using divisive labels such as “slaves” and “royals” in the party’s internal contests.
Speaking on the broader dangers of tribal and religious politics on The Big Mike Breakfast Show on Mike FM on Monday, December 15, Ayam described the trend as dangerous and capable of igniting ethnic conflicts and even attracting extremist activities into the country.
“These discussions are coming at a time when there are already subtle religious undertones in our political space. We must not forget that Ghana is bordered by countries that have suffered from extremist activities. We do not want a nation like Ghana, which has been a beacon of democracy, to descend into ethnic, religious or tribal politics.”
He warned that allowing such narratives to gain ground could make it difficult to contain radicalisation along ethnic or religious lines in the future.
Ayam noted that the problem cuts across the political divide, affecting both the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and called for an urgent shift towards issue-based campaigning rooted in competence, policies and ideas, rather than ethnicity or religion.
Beyond political actors, he urged key electoral and governance stakeholders to speak out strongly against the trend. He also advocated for public accountability, suggesting that politicians who engage in divisive rhetoric should be identified and called out.
“There are institutions in Ghana such as the Christian Council, the National Peace Council and the National House of Chiefs that are working to disabuse Ghanaians of tribal politics, but I believe we must go further by naming and shaming politicians who are at the forefront of using such comments as campaign messages.”
He stressed that safeguarding Ghana’s democracy requires collective vigilance and a firm rejection of all forms of divisive politics.
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