Ghana’s former President, John Dramani Mahama, has made a successful political comeback, winning the country’s presidential election after his rival, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat on Sunday. The result marks a significant shift in Ghana’s political landscape and reflects growing dissatisfaction with the ruling party, which has struggled with economic challenges including high inflation, currency depreciation, and a debt crisis.
Mahama, 66, who served as president from 2012 to 2016, framed Bawumia as a representative of policies that led to Ghana’s worst economic crisis in a generation. The country, one of the world’s top cocoa producers and a major gold exporter, reached a $3 billion bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year after defaulting on much of its international debt.
In a message on social media, Mahama expressed his gratitude: “I have, this morning, received a congratulatory call from my brother Dr. Bawumia, following my emphatic victory in Saturday’s election. Thank you, Ghana.”
Bawumia acknowledged his defeat, confirming Mahama’s victory before the official announcement by the Electoral Commission. “The data from our own internal collation of the election results indicate that former President John Dramani Mahama has won the presidential election decisively,” Bawumia stated during a press conference. He also mentioned that Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) had won the parliamentary election.
To avoid escalating tensions, Bawumia made the concession speech before the official results were announced. Tensions had been rising in some local constituency centres where results were still being counted, with reports of scuffles. “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,” Bawumia said. “It is important that the world investor community continues to believe in the peaceful and democratic character of Ghana.”
Celebrations erupted in Accra as hundreds of NDC supporters took to the streets following Bawumia’s concession. Early results had shown Mahama leading with over 53% of the vote, while Bawumia trailed at 45.16% after provisional results from 68 out of 276 constituencies were counted. National spokesperson for the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, reported that party agents had collated provisional results from nearly 40,000 polling stations, with Mahama holding a commanding lead of around 56%.
The NDC also appeared poised to win a majority in Parliament, with Gyamfi forecasting the party would secure around 185 out of the 276 available seats.
