Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on African leaders to shift the focus of electoral contests from political rivalries to policy-driven agendas that directly improve the lives of citizens.
Opening the African Political Parties Summit 2025 in Accra, the Vice President urged political parties across the continent to prioritise governance that delivers tangible development outcomes.
“Policies, when divorced from the pursuit of wellbeing, become empty,” she stated.
“Our people do not ask us to perform politics for its own sake. They deserve politics that translates into food security, decent jobs, functional schools, accessible healthcare, efficient infrastructure, security, and justice. They expect us to focus not just on the next election, but more importantly, on the next generation.”
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang stressed that leaders must rise above narrow interests, work together even as political opponents, and foster cooperation and tolerance for the sake of peace, development, and progress.
She cautioned against the lack of continuity in national development projects, urging African governments to craft long-term plans that will be respected by successive administrations.
While acknowledging that disagreements are inevitable, she said it was critical to “agree on the fundamentals” and work towards “an Africa united in vision to defy the odds,” pointing to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an example of what cooperation can achieve.
The Vice President also urged both ruling and opposition parties to ensure stability during elections, warning that instability endangers livelihoods and hampers progress.
She expressed optimism that the adoption of the African Political Parties Initiative (APPI) implementation framework—expected during the summit—would foster cross-border political cooperation to tackle regional threats, curb illicit trade, and respond to pandemics.
The APPI framework seeks to provide a platform for dialogue, build institutional capacity, sustain cooperation, resolve disputes, share best practices, and coordinate on shared priorities.
The three-day summit, themed “From Politics to Prosperity,” has brought together African Heads of State and political leaders to chart a unified course for the continent’s development.
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