National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate John Mahama has lamented that Ghana is no longer seen as a model for democracy, citing issues with the country’s judiciary and economy.

Speaking on the second day of his tour in the Northern Region, Mahama expressed concerns over the perceived lack of independence within the Judiciary and the weakening of state institutions, which he said have led to global disappointment in Ghana’s governance.

“Anywhere I go, the question people outside Ghana ask me is, ‘Ghana, what happened to you? Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana, what happened to you?’” Mahama stated. “Everybody looked up to Ghana as the model of democracy, today, we are a bad model of democracy, our judiciary is not independent, all our state institutions have been destroyed, people looked up to Ghana as a country that is a model of economic management, today, our economy is in shambles.”

Mahama’s remarks come amid a legal dispute involving Effutu MP Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin over the declaration of four parliamentary seats as vacant.

After Speaker Bagbin’s declaration, Afenyo-Markin sought a stay from the Supreme Court, which ultimately suspended the Speaker's action. In response, Speaker Bagbin filed a suit to challenge the Supreme Court's ruling, asserting that the Court lacked jurisdiction in this matter.

Following submissions from all parties, including the Attorney-General, the Supreme Court upheld its decision, maintaining that the Speaker’s appeal was without merit.