Presidential Poll: Former Ghana’s President Mahama Returns To Power

• As ruling party candidate, Vice President Bawumia concedes defeat

Former President and candidate of the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, on Sunday claimed victory in Ghana’s presidential elections after ruling party flag-bearer, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat.

According to Bawumia, who called to congratulate Mahama, the opposition party won the presidency “decisively”.

Speaking to newsmen at his residence, Vice President Bawumia admitted that NDC also won the parliamentary election, saying; “Let me say that the data from our own internal collation of the election results indicate that former President John Dramani Mahama has won the Presidential election decisively.

“The NDC has also won the parliamentary election. Even though we await final collation of a number of seats, I believe ultimately these will not change the outcome.”

Explaining that he conceded defeat to the former President before the official results to ease tensions, Bawumia said; “I am making this concession speech before the official announcement by the Electoral Commission to avoid further tension and preserve the peace of our country.

“It is important that the world investor community continues to believe in the peaceful and democratic character of Ghana.

“The people have voted for change at this time, and we respect that decision with all humility.”

Victory for the opposition was largely predicted by poll experts, and interestingly Mahama, who is Ghana’s main opposition leader, was unsuccessful twice in his bid to reclaim the country’s number one position.

For now, the results indicate that he secured a huge comeback on his third attempt for the presidency after tapping into the nation’s economic frustrations to win Saturday’s election.

The victory is quite historic, making him the first president in the three decades of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992, to reclaim the presidency after being voted out of office.

He outshone Vice President Bawumia, who represented the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the economy became a major election issue with Ghana defaulting on its debt and entering into a $3 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Mahama, 66, who served as President from 2012 to 2017, promised to “reset” Ghana; renegotiate parts of the IMF deal; and introduce a “24-hour” economy to create jobs, which is an issue that remains major concern for the younger voters.

A writer and devotee of Afrobeat music, Mahama wrote in his memoir “My First Coup d’Etat — And Other True Stories from the Lost Decades of Africa” that he was changed by his boyhood experiences during a 1966 military coup.

He was born in northern Ghana as a child of privilege, his house being the only one in the village with a diesel generator.

His father, who served as junior minister, was briefly detained and interrogated by the 1966 coup leaders but was later released unharmed.

Mahama was also a member of parliament and chairman of the West Africa Caucus at the Pan-African Parliament in Pretoria.

On corruption, Mahama said he will create a new office tasked with scrutinising government procurement above a $5 million threshold, noting that unchecked procurement processes are a major source of corruption.

Mahama voiced support for the anti-LGBTQ bill passed by Ghana’s parliament in February but which is yet to be signed into law and has sparked international criticism.

Ahead of the Saturday’s poll, Mustapha Gbande, a spokesperson for Mahama’s campaign organization, had expressed confidence in the candidate’s chances, saying; “People are looking for change and they trust Mahama to steer the country in a better direction”.

In his first coming, Mahama’s tenure as President was marred by a severe energy crisis that led to persistent power cuts, known locally as “dumsor”, which dented his reputation.

Corruption allegations also plagued his administration, although no charges were formally filed against him.

Mahama’s campaign sought to counter criticism by emphasising his experience in international leadership, including his role in combating the Ebola crisis as Chairman of regional West African bloc ECOWAS. – With agency reports