Author: Dr. John Osae-Kwapong, Democracy and Development Fellow, CDD-Ghana, and Project Director, the Democracy Project

As part of a panel discussion on Ghana’s Independence Day, the question of how well the country’s democracy has served its citizens came up. As the discussion unfolded and the challenges of democracy emerged in terms of delivery of the development dividends, it naturally led to the question of whether a non-democratic alternative, such as a military government, had any redeeming qualities about it.

In addition, data from the Afrobarometer survey, which showed a jump from 40% (Round 9, 2022) to 51% (Round 10, 2024) on the question of whether the military should intervene in politics, was cited as the basis for asking if Ghanaians still harbored positive dispositions about military rule.

Also, the successful military interventions in a couple of countries over the last few years have reignited conversations with respect to how citizens across the continent feel about this type of regime.

In the past, I have had occasion to write about this, arguing forcefully that Ghanaians have made their peace with democracy even as they acknowledge continued challenges that must be dealt with.

Also, I have asserted that the Ghanaian attitude towards military rule requires careful unpacking because it is more nuanced than the cited statistic above based on a single question in the Afrobarometer survey. In this piece, I shift attention to the broader African continent and unpack how citizens in general feel about military rule.

This is an aggregate view of thirty-six countries where Afrobarometer data is publicly available from the most recent survey (Round 10, 2024/2025). I acknowledge the fact that there are country variations on the selected questions for analysis.

What Do Citizens in The Region Say About Military Regimes?

First, seven out of ten (66%) disapprove/strongly disapprove of military regimes. And even among the 28% who say they approve/strongly of military regimes, on the question of preferred form of government, six out of ten (56%) still say “democracy is preferable to any other form of government.”

Second, five out of ten (51%) in Round 10 (2024) agreed that it is “legitimate for the armed forces to take control of government when elected leaders abuse power for their own ends.”

It is worrying to see half of the population respond this way, but keep in mind that it is not blanket approval of military intervention but rather a conditional one – abuse of power. Again, even among this group who lend conditional support for military intervention, 62% say “democracy is preferable to any other form of government.”

Third, when asked what should happen in the unlikely event that there is a military takeover, seven out of ten (71%) want a return to civilian rule either “gradually or immediately.” From the second point above, among those who give conditional approval to military intervention, a majority (70%) also would like a return to civilian rule “gradually or immediately.”

Fourth, eight out of ten (75%) prefer that leaders are chosen through “regular, open, and honest elections.” In the first point above, the small percentage who give approval to military rule still support (68%) the use of elections as the method for choosing leaders.

In addition, among those indicated earlier that give conditional approval to military interventions, 72% still prefer elections as the method for choosing leaders. In summary, these sentiments are not indicative of people who are interested in returning to military rule and in the unfortunate event that it happens, clamor for a return to civilian rule.

The Real Pinch Point

Just as I argue in the case of the citizens of Ghana, I argue the same that citizens across the continent have made their “peace” with democracy. However, there are some real pinch points that they continue to live with, which must not go unaddressed.

This is because in Round 10 (2024) of the survey, only 12% expressed being “very satisfied” with the way democracy works. An additional 29% expressed being “fairly satisfied.”

This is the biggest pinch point in citizens’ overall assessment of their satisfaction with the way democracy is working. The consolation here, though, is that the dissatisfaction is not with democracy itself as a system of government, but rather the practice of it.

The selected questions and further probing of the answers to them do not point to a collective appetite for military rule by citizens across countries in the region.

What is shows, rather, is an uneasy tension that the citizens’ strong preference for democracy and its practices, such as choosing leaders through elections, must continuously live with.

It is a constant reminder that the journey towards democratic consolidation is far from complete and there is work that remains to be done. Whatever the drivers of this low level of satisfaction with the way democracy is working, it is very important that countries work to address them.