Swords into Ploughshares: The Judicial Challenge of Ghana’s 2012 Presidential Election Results

Abstract

Ghana’s presidential election in 2012, and the tension that it generated, have enhanced the democratic dispensation of that country, through the testing and trial of institutions, such as Ghana’s Electoral Commission and the Supreme Court. The purpose of the article is to examine the background of Ghana’s presidential electoral dispute, and the petition that was filed in court. Further, the paper highlights some of the implications for Ghana’s political development, and assesses the political value of the Court’s verdict for Africa’s democratic dispensation. While the verdict is of questionable precedential value, the petition itself demonstrated the potential for peaceful resolution of post-political election conflict in Ghana.