The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have addressed concerns raised by Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), regarding the potential threat of a military coup in Ghana, particularly if the upcoming general election turns violent.
In a press release shared with GhanaWeb, the military dismissed the suggestion that its support for the Ghana Police Service during the elections could signal an attempt at a military takeover.
The GAF clarified that it will only provide assistance to the police, who are responsible for election security, if formally requested to do so by the police.
“Dr Akwetey is alleged to have said GAF has threatened to take over control of the country if elections in the country turn out violent beyond the control of the Ghana Police Service at press conferences held in 2016 and 2020. We wish to draw the attention of the public that GAF will only support the Ghana Police when the latter requests assistance and that does not constitute an overthrow of a government,” part of the release which was issued by Brigadier General E. Aggrey-Quashie, the Director General Public Relations of GFA on August 23, 2024, reads.
The army also denied claims that it has publicly declared an intention to take control of the country if the elections become violent.
“The allegation by Dr Akwetey cannot be true because the Ghana Armed Forces has not held any press conference at which it declared its intention to take over the country.”
It added that it “has no intention to stage a coup and will prevent and resist any individual, group or organisation seeking to take over unlawfully the power of government either acting alone or in collaboration with any security agency.”
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) called on the public to refrain from using its name to escalate political tensions as the 2024 elections approach.
“GAF, like all peace-loving institutions and individuals, is looking forward to peaceful elections come December 2024. We therefore call on all institutions and groups not to associate GAF with anything that has the potential of heightening political tension in the country,” the release concludes.
What the IDEG boss said:
In an interview with JoyNews on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey mentioned that the Ghana Armed Forces has, on more than two occasions, indicated that it would step in if election-related violence escalates beyond the control of the Ghana Police Service.
He emphasized that these warnings from the military should be taken seriously, as they suggest the potential end of civil governance and the possibility of a military coup.
“The Armed Forces of Ghana since 2016 have clearly and openly in press conferences threatened that if violence breaks out in the country over election disputes or whatever and the police cannot deal with it and it’s escalating or threatening, they will step in. And they said if they did so, it would be to protect the territorial integrity, our peace, and our national unity.
“That would be a coup because the police cannot deal with nationwide violence. They are not equipped for that. It’s not about parliamentary elections, it’s about presidential elections because the president is elected throughout the country. And they have said that a second time in 2020 and probably even the third time they’ve even started talking about it so early,” he said.
The IDEG boss added, “Read the papers, and you will see the threat is real in a sub-region where there is a drift towards the military or the return of military governments. And ECOWAS is facing some challenges in dealing with these issues.”