Incumbent John Mahama Declared Winner Of Ghana Election

John_Dramani_Mahama — President John Mahama

Ghana’s electoral commission has announced that incumbent President John Mahama has won the Presidential election.

The commission said that Mr Mahama had won 50.7% against opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo on 47.74%.

“Ladies and gentlemen, based on the results given, I declare John Dramani Mahama president-elect,” electoral commission chief Kwadwo Afari-Gyan told journalists.

The opposition NPP however says it will contest the result, accusing the governing NDC party of conspiring with commission staff to fix Friday’s election.

“This situation, if allowed to go unchallenged and uncorrected, would seriously damage the essence of the electoral process and the substance of democracy in Ghana,” the NPP said.

“To accept this result is to discredit democracy in Ghana and, in the process, distort the process of democratisation in Africa. Therefore, the New Patriotic Party cannot accept the results of the presidential election as declared by the EC (election commission) this evening.”

President Mahama urged leaders of all political parties to respect the voice of the people.

Mr Mahama was Ghana’s vice-president until the unexpected death of President John Atta Mills in July catapulted him into office.

Opposition protesters who had gathered outside the electoral commission offices were dispersed after police fired teargas.

Tanks guarded the electoral commission and roads around the offices were barricaded by police as the results were announced.

Ghana is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and is regarded as one of Africa’s most stable democracies.

Earlier, the NPP said it had “enough concrete evidence” to prove that Mr Akufo-Addo had won the election.

Mr Mahama’s presidential adviser Tony Aidoo said there was no foundation for the allegations.

Mr Akufo-Addo lost the 2008 presidential poll by one percentage point, but accepted the result.

Glitches with a new finger-printing system meant that voting continued into Saturday in some parts of the country. Though, observers said the election had passed off largely peacefully.