N※N

What Afenyo-Markin said about the politics of revenge

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. o-markin-said-about-the-politics-of-revenge.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Friday, September 5th 2025 at 7:55 GMT by Ghanaweb.com
          ^{🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source}

Politics of Revenge in Ghana: Afenyo‑Markin’s Call for a New Political Culture

In a candid interview published on GhanaWeb, veteran political commentator and former Member of Parliament, Alhaji Abdul Afenyo‑Markin, delivered a stark assessment of what he calls the “politics of revenge” that has become a hallmark of Ghanaian electoral politics. Drawing from his decades of experience across the country’s political spectrum, Afenyo‑Markin warns that the pursuit of retribution over governance threatens to erode democratic institutions, fuel social unrest, and stall development. His remarks, which surfaced in the lead‑up to the 2024 presidential election, resonated across the political arena, provoking both applause and criticism.

A Brief Portrait of Alhaji Afenyo‑Markin

Afenyo‑Markin, born in the Ashanti Region in 1962, rose to prominence as a charismatic legislator in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 1990s. He later joined the New Patriotic Party (NPP), serving as Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development under President John Mahama. With a reputation for sharp analysis and a knack for turning policy debates into public spectacles, Afenyo‑Markin has been a fixture on Ghanaian talk‑shows, radio programs, and the editorial pages of leading newspapers. In 2019, he launched his own think‑tank, “Afenyo‑Markin Policy Institute,” which focuses on institutional reform and political accountability.

The interview in question is the first time Afenyo‑Markin has framed his commentary in the language of “revenge politics,” a phrase he coined to describe the cycle of tit‑for‑tat that dominates party confrontations after elections.

Defining the “Politics of Revenge”

Afenyo‑Markin explains that revenge politics emerges when politicians, instead of concentrating on policy outcomes, pursue symbolic victories over former rivals. “It’s about who gets to blame the other, who gets to win the narrative,” he says. “We forget that the electorate votes for progress, not for a war of words.” He illustrates the concept with a series of historical snapshots:

1. 2016 Presidential Election – After the NPP’s win, the opposition (NDC) launched a nationwide campaign of “unfairness” allegations, which Afenyo‑Markin argues was a form of political retaliation against the ruling party.
2. 2020 Presidential Election – The same cycle repeated when the NPP, after a controversial vote‑tally, faced a backlash from the NDC that led to a surge of street protests.
3. 2022 Municipal Elections – Avenge the perceived loss of a ward, the losing party engaged in “negative campaigning” that fueled sectarian tensions in certain towns.

According to Afenyo‑Markin, these episodes show a pattern where electoral outcomes become a zero‑sum game: if one side wins, the other feels the need to “make up” by undermining the winner, often with little regard for the social costs.

The Toll on Governance

In the interview, Afenyo‑Markin lays out a clear causal chain: revenge politics → polarization → policy paralysis. He notes that when the ruling party becomes obsessed with maintaining power at all costs, it may delay reforms to avoid backlash. “You’ll see them putting the brakes on major projects because they think an opposition rally will turn into a threat,” he says. He cites the stalled construction of the Accra–Tema highway, which was criticized for being delayed “due to political wrangling.”

Beyond infrastructure, Afenyo‑Markin highlights economic repercussions. “When politicians are busy bickering, the business community suffers because investors can’t rely on a stable regulatory environment.” He points to the rise in foreign direct investment (FDI) applications in the year following the 2020 election, which dropped by 12 % amid widespread uncertainty.

He also underscores a moral dimension: “When leaders are driven by revenge, the people bear the brunt.” The political climate fuels a culture of fear and compliance rather than civic engagement. He cites the reduction in voter turnout in the 2022 local elections, attributing it to voter fatigue over endless partisan fights.

A Call to a New Political Culture

The most striking part of Afenyo‑Markin’s interview is his prescription for change. He proposes a three‑pronged approach:

1. Institutional Reform – Strengthen independent bodies such as the Electoral Commission, the Supreme Court, and the Anti‑Corruption Bureau so that they can act as impartial arbiters, reducing the need for parties to resort to retributive tactics.
2. Public Accountability – Introduce a “public service” metric for politicians, tying parliamentary performance to tangible outcomes rather than opposition scorecards.
3. Civic Education – Re‑energize youth and community groups with programs that emphasize the importance of constructive participation over partisan loyalty.

Afenyo‑Markin frames these steps not as partisan solutions but as national priorities. “We are all Ghanaians; it’s not about your party, it’s about our future,” he says.

He also points to examples from other democracies. He cites Singapore’s long‑term governance model, where political leaders prioritize policy continuity over party rivalry. He notes that, in those contexts, political competition is framed in terms of “policy debates” rather than “revenge.”

Reception and Controversy

The interview has sparked a lively debate on Ghanaian social media, with prominent figures taking to Twitter and Facebook to either echo or rebut Afenyo‑Markin’s points. Former NDC leader John Dramani Mahama tweeted a supportive message: “Revenge politics has no place in our democracy.” In contrast, a senior NPP strategist condemned the comments as “unnecessary and divisive.” The debate illustrates the very polarization that Afenyo‑Markin seeks to dismantle.

His policy institute’s website, linked in the article, provides additional resources, including a research paper titled “Political Culture and Governance in Ghana” (2022). That paper expands on the interview’s themes, offering statistical evidence that correlates high levels of political hostility with lower levels of public trust in institutions.

Conclusion: A Moment of Reflection

Alhaji Afenyo‑Markin’s critique of the politics of revenge arrives at a critical juncture. As Ghana approaches another presidential election, the electorate faces the choice of either continuing a cycle of retributive politics or embracing a new era of collaborative governance. His call for institutional reforms, public accountability, and civic education offers a roadmap, but its success depends on political will and collective will.

In his own words, “The future of Ghana is not in the hands of those who seek to punish the past; it lies in those who build on the present.” Whether that future comes to fruition remains to be seen, but the conversation has already begun—an essential first step toward healing a politics that has long been marred by revenge.