Official results from Ghana’s election Monday show incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo has won a second term.
After a two-day wait, Ghana’s Electoral Commission on Wednesday evening said the incumbent, President Nana Akufo-Addo, retained the presidency, beating his opponent, former president John Mahama.
The commission said Akufo-Addo won 6.7 million votes -- 51.6 percent of the total -- while Mahama garnered 6.2 million votes, or 47.4 percent.
Sounds of jubilation could be heard throughout Accra as the results were announced.
The chair of the electoral commission, Jean Mensa, hailed the smooth and peaceful nature of the election.
“I indicate that this is a historic election, because, for the first time in the history of our country, the election day went by without major incidents and occurrences, Mensa said.”
The election also had a high turnout.
“At the end of a transparent fair, orderly and timely and peaceful presidential election, the total number of valid votes cast was 13,434,574, representing 79% of the total registered voters,” Mensa added.
The election results came a day later than expected, sparking some protests by the opposition National Democratic Party in the capital on Wednesday.
Ahead of the election, Mahama and Akufo-Addo signed a peace pact committing to non-violence regardless of the outcome of the vote.
However, the Ghana Police Service has recorded a total of 61 electoral and post-electoral incidents nationwide, six which involved gunshots, resulting in the death of five people across the nation. Nineteen others have been injured.
In its report from more than 4,000 observers, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers found the elections were generally conducted according to Ghana's electoral laws and procedures. The coalition said there were some “isolated” challenges, but said they “did not undermine the process's overall credibility.”
