Ghana Election Result: John Mahama Officially Declared winner of Polls, Completes Historic Comeback

• John Mahama has been elected president of Ghana after winning 56.55% of the provisional vote
• Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia got 4,657,304 votes, representing 41.61% of the votes cast
• Mahama has become the first former president in Ghana to make a comeback as head of state

National Democratic Congress presidential candidate John Mahama has been elected president of Ghana, making him the first former president to return to power.

The Electoral Commission declared the National Democratic Congress candidate the winner after his 6,328,397 votes, representing 56.55% of the votes cast. These results are from 267 of Ghana's constituencies.

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who has already conceded the election, got 4,657,304 votes, representing 41.61%.

Eight years after becoming the first sitting president to lose an election, Mahama’s return to power followed the trend of Ghanaians voting out an incumbent party after eight years.

His win also ended the New Patriotic Party’s dual attempt to make history by winning a third successive term in power and allowing Mahamudu Bawumia to become Ghana’s first Muslim president.

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Mahama's projected victory also ushers in another historic milestone in Ghanaian politics. His running mate, Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, is set to become Ghana’s first woman vice president at the second time of asking.

The president-elect is expected to address the country after this declaration.

Mahama’s campaign centred on the economy, with him vowing a reset after the economic crisis and the high cost of living Ghanaians endured under the Akufo-Addo administration. He consistently jabbed Bawumia over his silence on the economy.

“Eight long years of unprecedented economic mismanagement, misrule, systematic and organised plunder of state resources, state capture, waste, obscene arrogance, nepotism, cronyism, abuse of office, impunity, human rights violations and deliberate bastardisation of state institutions have reversed the gains made under the erstwhile NDC government and imposed untold suffering on Ghanaians.”

His flagship policy proposal was a 24-hour economy for business development, growth and job creation.

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The former president also tapped into widespread anger over perceived government corruption, which manifested in scandals like the National Cathedral project.

He has pledged an urgent reset to restore good governance and ensure economic transformation.

Mahama’s victory became certain after results showed the NDC was flipping seats in key NPP strongholds.

As polls predicted, the former president outpaced his own performance in his losing effort four years ago.

Given the urgency he projected during the campaign season, he will be expected to hit the ground running.

The NDC outlined a 25-point plan with Mahama’s priorities for his first 120 days in power.

Among others, he has committed to forming the "leanest and most efficient" government in Ghana’s Fourth Republic within the first 90 days of his administration. He plans to nominate his complete list of Cabinet Ministers for parliamentary approval within the first 14 days of his administration.

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Mahama also pledged to hold a National Economic Dialogue and scrap several taxes, including the E-levy and the COVID levy, within the first 90 days of his administration.

The NDC has already taken control of Parliament, meaning that the president-elect will have the legislative latitude to pass policy proposals and approve appointments.

Source: YEN.com.gh