In a well-watched weekend election John Dramani Mahama secured a decisive win in Ghanaʼs presidential race getting more than half of total votes. The electoral commission announced partial results on Dec 9th showing the ex-president got 56.55% support from voters; while counting continues in a few remaining areas
The quick-and-peaceful transition got help when Mahamudu Bawumia the current vice-president (who was main opponent in the race) accepted his loss just one day after people voted. This move helped keep post-election mood stable in the west-african nation
The election saw decent participation with about 6 in 10 eligible voters showing up at polling stations. Mahama who previously led Ghana from 2012 to 2016 - focused his campaign on fixing economic problems that got worse under current leadership. At 66 years-old‚ the former head-of-state convinced voters he could handle Ghanaʼs money troubles better than his rival who works with todays government
The counting process moved fast with officials processing:
- 267 constituencies results out of 276
- Nearly 61% voter turnout recorded
- More than half votes going to opposition
- Remaining areas still being counted
This win marks an interesting comeback for Mahama who lost power about 8 years ago but now returns with strong public support to lead the nation through its current financial challenges