Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has urged African leaders to make policy-driven governance not electoral rivalry the centre of political competition.
Opening the 2025 African Political Parties Summit in Accra, she called on political parties across the continent to prioritise citizens’ needs over partisan gain.
“Policies, when divorced from the pursuit of wellbeing, become empty,” she said. “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.”
Professor Opoku-Agyemang urged leaders to rise above narrow interests, cooperate even as political opponents, and promote tolerance for peace, development, and progress. “Let’s adopt a long view… for the sake of policies and projects, and they must outlast our own political careers,” she added.
Addressing Africa’s development challenges, she stressed the need for national development plans that would be respected by successive governments, warning that lack of continuity undermines progress. While acknowledging differences among leaders, she emphasised the importance of “agreeing on the fundamentals” and working toward “an Africa united in vision to defy the odds,” citing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a notable success.
She further challenged both ruling and opposition parties to safeguard stability during elections, warning that instability threatens livelihoods.
The Vice President expressed optimism that the adoption of the African Political Parties Initiative (APPI) implementation framework at the summit would strengthen political cooperation across borders to tackle regional threats, combat illicit trade, and respond to pandemics.
The APPI framework still pending formal adoption seeks to create a platform for dialogue, build institutional capacity, sustain cooperation, resolve disputes, share ideas, and collaborate on shared priorities.
The three-day summit has brought together African Heads of State under the theme “From Politics to Prosperity.”
