The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has called on political parties across Africa to shift their focus from merely winning elections to building enduring institutions that champion effective governance.
Speaking at the 2025 African Political Parties Summit in Accra, he warned that prioritising short-term electoral gains at the expense of sound governance is eroding public trust and undermining the continent’s progress.
In an address that resonated with leaders from various African nations, Mr Nketiah argued that a transactional approach to politics, where power is sought for personal or short-term gain, ultimately leads to the collapse of state institutions.
“We’ve acknowledged that when politics becomes transactional, institutions suffer. When the long view is abandoned, the people’s trust erodes,” he stated.
He challenged political parties to see themselves as more than just “election-winning machines”.
Instead, he urged them to become robust institutions dedicated to national development.
“It must be enduring institutions that channel political competition into constructive governance, that provide the intellectual and policy foundations for economic transformation, and that embody the discipline, vision and moral leadership necessary for national progress,” Mr Nketiah added.
The summit, which brought together political leaders and scholars, highlighted the need for political parties to be central to policy formulation and to serve as platforms for intellectual debate. Mr
Nketiah’s message was a stark reminder that while elections are fundamental to democracy, the true measure of a political party’s success lies in its ability to govern effectively and sustainably for the benefit of its citizens.
