Ghana’s John Mahama’s comeback victory confirmed

Official results of Ghana’s presidential election on Saturday have confirmed the victory of opposition candidate, former President John Mahama.

With results from all 16 regions of the country, Mahama won with 56.6%, while Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia received 41.6% of the vote.

This is the largest margin of victory in 24 years.

Jean Mensah, head of Ghana’s electoral commission, said voter turnout was 60.9%.

The Vice President accepted defeat the day after the election and congratulated Mahama on his victory, but there was some disappointment that it was taking so long to announce official results.

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

This election is taking place amid the worst economic crisis in a generation.

Unemployment, cost of living and concerns over the environmental impact of illegal gold mining, known as “galamsey”, were among the major issues.

With many Ghanaians desperate for change, Mahama won several regions – including Bono, Ahafo, Western and Central – that were won by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2020.

However, results from the Ashanti region, seen as an NPP stronghold, have not yet been declared.

Mahama’s supporters across the country are celebrating after Bawumia’s concession on Sunday.

People are cheering, waving flags, blowing horns and riding motorcycles.

“I am very excited by this victory,” Salifu Abdul-Fatavu told the BBC in the central city of Kumasi.

He said he hoped this would mean he and his siblings would get jobs, while food and fuel prices would go down.

The Vice President said he had accepted defeat before the official announcement of the results “to avoid further tension and maintain the peace of our country”.

Although the elections have been generally peaceful, two people were shot dead in separate incidents on Saturday.

The Electoral Commission office in the northern town of Damongo was also reportedly destroyed by NDC supporters angry over the delay in the declaration of results.

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

Since the return of multi-party politics to Ghana in 1992, Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (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 tenure was marred by a poor economy, frequent power outages and corruption scandals.

However, Ghanaians are hoping it will be different this time.

During the campaign, Mahama promised to transform Ghana into a “24-hour economy”.

The new President will take oath on 7 January 2025.

Additional reporting by Natasha Booty in London