A new nationwide survey by Global InfoAnalytics has recorded a significant dip in President John Mahama’s approval rating, raising questions about the government’s performance on governance and corruption.
The September poll, released this week, shows the president’s approval rating fell by six percentage points, from 73% in July to 67%. Public optimism about the country’s direction also dropped, with 66% of respondents saying Ghana is headed in the right direction, compared with 71% in July.
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According to the researchers, the decline is not driven by economic hardship. Instead, the findings suggest growing unease over governance issues, particularly corruption. Anger over plea bargaining deals in financial crime cases, frustration with the handling of the ORAL corruption case, widespread concerns about illegal mining, and perceptions of behind-the-scenes negotiations for accused individuals are eroding confidence in the government.
“This six-point drop is quite huge in polling terms,” said Mussa Dankwa, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics. “But at this stage, we consider it a blip, not a trend. If the numbers fall again in the next poll, it will be a very big concern, and three consecutive declines would indicate the government is in very muddy waters.”
The poll also revealed that while Mahama’s approval rating has slipped, it still remains far higher than the last rating for his predecessor, who scored 36% in October 2024.
The data points to an erosion in how Ghanaians perceive the government’s overall performance. The number of people rating the government’s performance as “excellent,” “very good,” or “good” fell from 80% in July to 72% in September, while those rating it as “poor” or “very poor” rose from 11% to 16%.
The report highlights the growing role of social media in shaping political opinion. With nearly 70% of voters active online, and 78% under the age of 44, analysts say that winning the “social media war” increasingly translates into winning over the electorate.
“These are smart people who cannot be swayed by old methods or propaganda,” Mussa Dankwa noted. “The political class must understand that connecting with this modern electorate requires a new approach.”
While President Mahama retains support across all 16 regions, the survey flagged the Volta and Western regions as areas of concern.
The Volta Region, traditionally seen as the president’s stronghold, showed signs of wavering, with only 62% of respondents saying the country is headed in the right direction. In the Western Region, sentiment was even weaker; just 52% of respondents expressed optimism, while 27% said the country is headed in the wrong direction and 21% gave no opinion.
“The Western Region has historically been unhappy and is becoming very difficult,” the report noted, urging the government to focus attention there.
Mr Mussa Dankwa emphasised that while the dip in ratings is notable, it remains too early to call it a trend. The next two quarterly polls will be critical in determining whether public confidence in Mahama’s leadership is slipping into a sustained decline.
The report also touched briefly on future political contests. Within the ruling NPP, the presidential primary race appears to have stabilised, while the opposition NDC is still considered to be wide open, with Haruna Iddrisu currently leading among potential candidates.
