Ghana is in the midst of counting votes from its presidential and parliamentary elections held on Saturday, with early signs indicating a highly competitive race between Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The nation’s 18.7 million registered voters are participating in this crucial election, which follows a major financial crisis and debt default in the West African nation.
The race is seen as primarily between Mahama and Bawumia, who has been positioned as the successor to outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo. Mahama, 66, has framed Bawumia’s potential presidency as a continuation of policies that contributed to Ghana’s economic challenges, promising to renegotiate the terms of a $3 billion IMF bailout secured last year to restructure the nation’s debt. “This is the only election that we can all see the direction of the outcome before we start voting,” Mahama said after casting his ballot in Bole, his hometown in northern Ghana. “We are hopeful and confident that we’ll win,” he added.
Bawumia, 61, a former central banker, also expressed confidence in his campaign after voting in his Walewale constituency in northern Ghana. “By the grace of God, I’m very hopeful of winning this election. I think that we have done a lot of work. We have put our message to the people, I think the message has been well received,” he stated.
Voting was generally calm and peaceful across the nation, although there were some reports of localized violence. In Accra’s historic Jamestown, jubilant supporters of the NDC celebrated Mahama’s potential success, chanting and banging pans after their polling stations reported strong results for the party.
The electoral commission confirmed that over 99% of polling stations opened on time and that voting materials were delivered efficiently. However, Benjamin Bano-Bio, the director of electoral services, noted some pockets of violence that led to one fatality. “Our verification machines were effective and the entire process was largely peaceful, except for a few places where violence occurred, leading to the death of one person,” Bano-Bio said during a news conference.
The counting process is now underway, with provisional legislative results expected late Saturday night and Sunday. The final presidential outcome may be announced by Tuesday, though trends from early counting could offer a clearer picture of the result. Ghana’s election is a significant test for the country’s political stability and economic recovery after the worst financial crisis in a generation, and the new leadership will face the challenge of addressing these issues and revitalizing the nation’s economy.