The Centre for Democratic Movement (CDM) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to fundamentally reset his governance approach, describing his first year in office as one marked by missed opportunities and widening gaps between promise and performance.

In its January 2026 assessment, CDM said the lived experiences of Ghanaians—rising costs, environmental degradation, job insecurity, and declining education outcomes—stand in sharp contrast to the administration’s stated reform agenda.

“Leadership is not about survival in office; it is about delivering dignity, opportunity, and justice to the people,” the statement emphasised, urging the President to prioritise ordinary citizens in policymaking.

While acknowledging relative exchange rate stability and attempts at policy communication, CDM said these efforts were insufficient to offset what it described as widespread governance deficits during the President’s first year.

The group warned that history would judge the Mahama administration not by intentions or rhetoric, but by tangible outcomes, and called for decisive action to protect livelihoods, strengthen institutions, and restore public confidence going into the second year of the presidency.