Ghana Armed Forces Pledge Full Support for Democracy Cup 2026
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has pledged its full support and participation in the 2026 Democracy Cup, describing the initiative as an important platform for promoting democratic values, national unity and peaceful coexistence.
The Chief of the Defence Staff, Lieutenant General William Agyapong, gave the assurance when the Clerk to Parliament, Hon. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, led a delegation from Parliament and the Democracy Cup Committee to present the 2026 Democracy Cup trophy to the Ghana Armed Forces.
The engagement formed part of Parliament’s stakeholder outreach to key state institutions ahead of this year’s Democracy Cup, which seeks to deepen public appreciation of Ghana’s democratic journey through the unifying power of football.
Receiving the trophy, Lt. Gen. Agyapong expressed appreciation to Parliament for recognising the Armed Forces as a key stakeholder in Ghana’s democratic development and said the GAF would do everything possible to support the initiative.
“We deem it an honour, and we are grateful that we are going to be in this exercise as a very key stakeholder in the country,” he said.
He urged Ghanaians to participate actively in the Democracy Cup and use the occasion to demonstrate their commitment to democratic governance, the rule of law and national unity.
“We should further our democratic process so that we can survive. We can choose the leaders we want, and most importantly, we will all be law-abiding,” the Chief of the Defence Staff stated.
He also called on the public to turn out in large numbers to support the competition, stressing that the event gives citizens a chance to celebrate Ghana’s democratic achievements while strengthening national cohesion.
“On our part, we are urging everyone who can make it to join us and show that we all go along with what we have decided to do as a country,” he added.
Lt. Gen. Agyepong assured Parliament that the Armed Forces would remain committed to protecting Ghana’s territorial integrity and supporting the conditions necessary for the country’s democracy to flourish.
“As the Ghana Armed Forces, we will do everything possible to maintain and, most importantly, protect the peace and integrity of the country and see the country’s democracy grow from strength to strength,” he said.
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, in 2024 as part of activities commemorating 30 years of Ghana’s uninterrupted parliamentary democracy under the Fourth Republic.
The initiative was conceived to harness the popularity and unifying power of football to promote civic education, peaceful coexistence, national unity and active citizen participation in democratic governance.
The maiden edition was played on July 17, 2024, at the Accra Sports Stadium, where Asante Kotoko defeated Accra Hearts of Oak 2–1 to become the first winners of the Democracy Cup. The event also featured a curtain-raiser between Parliament XI and former Black Stars players, with Parliament XI winning 3–1.
Following the success of the maiden edition, Speaker Bagbin expressed his determination to institutionalise the competition as an annual national event and indicated that it could eventually be rotated across different parts of the country to project Ghana’s democratic values.
The competition has since evolved beyond a single football match into a broader Democracy Cup Project.
The 2026 programme includes the flagship Democracy Cup, the Women Democracy Cup and the Democracy Youth Cup, reflecting efforts to expand participation and provide different segments of society with platforms to engage with the democratic process.
The 2026 edition is the third year of the initiative, which Parliament says is designed to strengthen democratic values through sport while promoting civic responsibility, peaceful coexistence and national cohesion.
The Armed Forces’ pledge adds the military to the growing list of key national institutions engaging with the Democracy Cup, reinforcing Parliament’s broader objective of making the competition a national platform for celebrating Ghana’s democratic achievements and encouraging citizens to protect and strengthen the country’s democratic gains.
Source: Felix Nyaaba/expressnewsghana.com
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