Over time, there have been allegations suggesting that the ruling party systematically undermines businesses owned by members of their political adversaries to gain an upper hand in governing the nation.
In Ghana, a similar narrative unfolds, with accusations leveled against the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for allegedly targeting businesses affiliated with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for downfall.
Addressing this concerning trend at the Afro-Heritage Conference and Awards in Lagos, Nigeria, John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the NDC, condemned such actions.
He attributed the scarcity of affluent businessmen on the continent to this practice of stifling entrepreneurial growth, emphasizing that it’s fundamentally unjust for any administration to sabotage businesses merely because they were established by their political rivals.
He said, “We must not be afraid for our business people to succeed, we must not be afraid to have rich Africans.”
“Governments must not come and think that because some other governments created this business, then we must kill it. That’s part of the problem that we have. We must believe in ourselves, in adversity comes opportunities,” he added.