Ghana Election: Former President Mahama Emerges Victorious in Tight Race

On Monday, Ghana’s electoral commission announced that former president and leader of the main opposition party, John Dramani Mahama, has won Saturday’s presidential election with 56.55% of the votes, based on provisional results. His primary challenger, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who represented the ruling party, conceded defeat on Sunday in both the presidential and parliamentary elections to alleviate tensions.

The electoral commission indicated that it had completed vote counts from 267 of the 276 constituencies in the West African nation, with a voter turnout rate of 60.9%. At 66 years old, Mahama is making a return to the political scene after previously serving as Ghana’s president from 2012 to 2016. He has criticized Bawumia for embodying a continuation of policies that contributed to Ghana’s most severe economic crisis in a generation.

“This mandate serves as a constant reminder of what awaits us if we fail to meet the aspirations of our people and govern with humility,” Mahama told a crowd of enthusiastic supporters at his campaign headquarters following the announcement of the results.

“The victory reflects the Ghanaian people’s limited tolerance for poor governance,” he remarked, vowing to implement “strong measures and governance reforms” to “reset our nation.” In a pre-election interview with Reuters, Mahama expressed his intent to renegotiate the terms of a $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund secured last year to restructure the nation’s debt. 

He also committed to streamlining business regulations, introducing a 24-hour triple-shift work schedule, enacting tax reforms, and investing $10 billion in upgrading infrastructure.

The escalating economic challenges and cost-of-living crisis affecting Ghana, a country known for its cocoa, gold, and oil production, have diminished the popularity of President Akufo-Addo’s administration and fueled calls for a leadership change.