Ghana’s Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, has delivered a forceful call for African leaders to rise above political rhetoric and deliver tangible improvements that directly transform the lives of their citizens.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 African Political Party Summit in Accra on Tuesday, August 12, she declared that the people of Africa “deserve more than empty slogans” and deserve leadership that translates words into action.
“Our people do not ask us to perform politics for its own sake,” Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said, drawing sustained applause from the high-level audience. “They deserve politics that translates into food security, decent jobs, functional schools, accessible health care, efficient infrastructure, security, and justice. They expect us to focus not just on the next election, but more importantly, on the next generation.”
Her remarks set the tone for a summit that has drawn political delegations from more than 30 African countries, including ministers, former presidents, opposition leaders, veteran statesmen, civil society representatives, and development partners.
This year’s summit is being held under the theme: “From Politics to Prosperity: Strengthening Inter-Party Collaboration for Africa’s Development and Economic Transformation”. Over the next three days, participants will engage in policy discussions, strategic planning sessions, and consensus-building exercises aimed at addressing some of the continent’s most pressing governance challenges.
Rethinking the Purpose of Politics
In her keynote address, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang urged leaders to fundamentally rethink the purpose of politics in Africa. She stressed that real leadership must transcend electoral competition and partisanship, and instead be anchored in national unity and sustainable development.
“Power is transient, while the nation endures,” she reminded the gathering. “Partisan victories mean very little if they are achieved at the expense of national unity.”
Reflecting on Ghana’s own democratic history, the Vice President noted that while the nation’s political parties have engaged in fierce electoral contests, they have also found ways to collaborate on critical national issues—particularly in times of crisis.
“Democracy must be adversarial only in the marketplace of ideas,” she said. “Beyond that, we owe it to our people to work together.”
She added that unity on the fundamentals was possible despite political differences. “We will not agree on everything, but if we can agree on the fundamentals—that Africa’s peace, unity, and well-being are non-negotiable—then we will already have taken a decisive step forward. We must envisage a resilient way towards an Africa that, when united in vision, can defy the odds.”
Tackling Africa’s Governance Questions
The summit’s agenda will address several complex questions that have long challenged political stability and economic growth across Africa. These include:
- How governments and opposition parties can guarantee peaceful transitions of power in fragile democracies.
- How to protect national development plans from disruption when political administrations change.
- How cross-border political cooperation can address shared challenges such as violent extremism, climate change, illicit trade, and public health crises.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said these discussions must move beyond abstract principles and lead to concrete agreements and actions that can be monitored and evaluated.
Introducing the African Political Parties Initiative (APPI)
One of the key announcements in her address was the launch of the African Political Parties Initiative (APPI), a new platform aimed at institutionalising dialogue and collaboration between political parties across the continent.
“The APPI will give our political parties a permanent mechanism to exchange ideas, resolve disputes constructively, and collaborate on our shared priorities,” she explained. “It will ensure that ‘from poverty to prosperity’ becomes a steady journey, not a passing slogan.”
The initiative is expected to serve as a hub for policy research, political training, and conflict mediation, fostering a political culture that prioritises the continent’s development over partisan advantage.
Leveraging Continental Cooperation
The Vice President also referenced the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an example of what African nations can achieve when they work together. She described it as a “powerful tool” for economic transformation, capable of boosting intra-African trade, industrialisation, and job creation.
However, she cautioned that the success of such continental frameworks depends on more than signing agreements. “We must back our commitments with political will, unity of vision, and the removal of internal barriers,” she warned, adding that fragmented policies and domestic protectionism could undermine the AfCFTA’s transformative potential.
A Call for Bold, Collaborative Leadership
Closing her address, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang appealed to her fellow leaders to embrace a form of politics that is defined by service and substance rather than power for its own sake.
“Our people deserve politics that delivers,” she said firmly. “We must rise above narrow interests and legacy politics to create a future worthy of the next generation.”
Her speech drew praise from several attendees, with some describing it as a timely intervention at a period when Africa is facing heightened political tensions, economic uncertainty, and security challenges in multiple regions.
As the summit proceeds, participants are expected to adopt a joint communiqué outlining commitments to strengthen democratic governance, promote inter-party cooperation, and advance socio-economic transformation.
For many observers, the real test will be whether these commitments survive beyond the conference halls and translate into measurable improvements in the lives of ordinary Africans.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s challenge was clear: Africa’s leaders must ensure that politics ceases to be a contest of slogans and instead becomes the driving force behind a continent-wide transformation.
