Security analyst Dr. Emmanuel Sowatey has called on Ghana’s political leaders to draw lessons from the recent wave of military coups in West Africa, urging them to strengthen their connection with ordinary citizens to safeguard the country’s stability.
His caution follows reports of an attempted coup in Benin on Sunday, December 7, 2025, during which members of the Benin Armed Forces allegedly tried to overthrow President Patrice Talon. According to the French Embassy in Benin, gunfire was heard near the president’s residence in Cotonou as soldiers announced the suspension of the constitution and closure of all land borders and the country’s airspace.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) responded by activating and deploying its Standby Force to Benin to help maintain constitutional order. Nigeria also sent air and ground forces to assist in repelling the attempted coup.
Dr. Sowatey referenced former President John Mahama’s earlier remarks on the troubling trend of coups in the subregion.
“President Mahama, one time, while addressing a group of people about some two months ago, said that the coups around West Africa should be a lesson to politicians. Because during his inauguration, when Captain Ibrahim Traoré came and you listened to the way the crowd hailed him — I think there is a lesson Ghana can learn from this. President Mahama has seen it himself, and I think he is very much aware,” he said.
Dr. Sowatey stressed that the safety of Ghana’s political class is inseparable from the wellbeing of ordinary citizens.
“The elite — whether NPP or NDC — should understand that their security and safety are very much tied to the ordinary people. There is one thing saying it with your lips, and there is another believing it with your heart,” he noted.
He also criticised political leaders’ heavy reliance on state security resources for personal protection, warning that it can fuel public resentment.
“I am one person who spoke against the police protecting the MP, and there are reasons for that. You always have some minimum level of extent for that. When there is a disconnect, it brings a problem. When the political elite think that they can have certain state resources to protect them, and that can shield them from the ordinary people, it begins to create some level of bitterness.
“They express this through the ballot box, and it should be the earliest sign that shows you that people are angry,” he added.
