John Mahama Returns as President of Ghana, Opposition Sweeps Polls, Tinubu, Atiku Felicitate

Rejected eight years ago as incumbent President, John Dranami Mahama was on Sunday elected to return to the Jubilee House defeating Ghana’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia as the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) sweeps the polls in Ghana.

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat and voters vented anger at the government’s handling of the economy. Ahead of the official announcement, Bawumia told reporters that he respects the decision of Ghanaians to vote for change. “I’ve just called His Excellency John Mahama to congratulate him as president-elect of the Republic of Ghana,” he said at his residence in the capital, Accra.

The elections come amid the country’s worst economic crisis in a generation, which saw the cost of basic goods shoot up, while young people struggled to get jobs, and the country was unable to repay its debts. Despite Bawumia’s concession, official results were yet to be declared.

The Electoral Commission (EC) said results were delayed because supporters of the two main parties were impeding the process and it had asked the police to clear the collation centres. Mahama’s supporters have taken to the streets around the country to celebrate, cheering, waving flags, blowing horns, and spinning motorbikes.

Although the election has generally been peaceful, two people were shot dead on Saturday in separate incidents, while the electoral commission office in the northern town of Damongo has been destroyed, allegedly by NDC supporters angry at the delays in announcing the results. Warehouses have also been looted in both Damongo and Tamale, also in the north.

Ghanaians had expected the first results to be announced within hours of the polls closing, however, the head of the Electoral Commission has asked for patience, noting that it has 72 days to declare the results.

Bawumia said he was basing his concession on internal tallies from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He said these showed Mahama had won “decisively”, while the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) had also won the parliamentary election.

Mahama confirmed that Bawumia had called to congratulate him on his “emphatic victory”.

The NDC earlier said that its internal results showed Mahama had won 56% of the vote against 41% for Bawumia.

The vice president said he was accepting defeat before the official announcement of the results “to avoid further tension and preserve the peace of our country”.

President Nana Akufo-Addo is stepping down after reaching the official limit of two terms in office.

Mahama, 65, previously led Ghana from 2012 until 2017, when he was replaced by Akufo-Addo. Mahama also lost the 2020 election, so this victory represents a stunning comeback.

Since the return of multi-party politics to Ghana in 1992, the NDC and the NPP have alternated in power. No party has ever won more than two consecutive terms in power – a trend that looks set to continue.

Mahama’s previous time in office was marred by an ailing economy, frequent power cuts and corruption scandals. However, Ghanaians hope it will be different this time around.

President Tinubu Congratulates Mahama

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated President-elect John Dramani Mahama on his victory in the December 7 general election in Ghana, following his opponent’s concession speech. 

In a telephone call to Mahama, President Tinubu hoped that Mahama’s ascension to power for the second time would further bring stability to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which President Tinubu is the Chairman.

President Tinubu commended the people of Ghana for their commitment to democracy, which was demonstrated through the peaceful and successful conduct of both the presidential and parliamentary elections, Mr Bayo Onanuga, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy said in a statement. 

He applauded Ghanaians for demonstrating again to the world that democracy is the preferred path to achieving political stability, economic development, social justice, and transparent governance in Africa and affirmed Nigeria’s and the region’s belief in the principles of the people’s right to choose their leaders freely will remain a source of pride. 

The Nigerian leader applauded the candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for conceding defeat before the official announcement by Ghana’s Electoral Commission, saying Bawumia’s stance reinforced Ghana’s democratic ethos. 

President Tinubu noted that President-elect Mahama’s return to Jubilee House, having served as President from 2012 to 2017, reflects the Ghanaian people’s trust in his stewardship and vision to take the country to greater heights. 

Mahama served as Vice President of Ghana from 2009 to 2012, Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009, and held deputy and ministerial roles between 1998 and 2001.

Abubakar Atiku Felicitates Mahama 

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has also congratulated the newly elected President-elected John Mahama. In a message on his X handle, Atiku wrote: Your Excellency, Mr President-elect John Mahama, @JDMahama. My warmest congratulations on your victory. I was told you were on your way to church and thought I could catch up with you before you entered the church for the Sunday service. Once again, kindly accept my hearty congratulations on your landslide victory”.