Daily Times

Ghana’s ruling New Patriotic Party candidate, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, on Sunday conceded defeat in the country’s presidential election after failing to shake off widespread frustration over the struggling economy.

Defeat in Saturday’s election ended two terms in power for the NPP under President Nana Akufo-Addo, marked by Ghana’s worst economic crisis in years, high inflation and a debt default.

“The people of Ghana have spoken, the people have voted for change at this time and we respect it with all humility,” Bawumia said in a press conference.

Bawumia said he had called his opponent National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate and former president John Mahama to congratulate him.

Blaring horns and cheering, Mahama supporters were already gathering and celebrating outside the party campaign headquarters in Accra.

On his X account, Mahama confirmed he had received Bawumia’s congratulatory call over his “emphatic victory”. The vice president said Mahama won the presidency “decisively” as well as Mahama’s NDC party winning the country’s parliament election, according the NPP’s own internal tally of votes.

Ghana’s economic woes dominated the election, after the west Africa gold and cacao producer went through a crisis of default and currency devaluation, ending with a $3 billion IMF bailout.

Earlier, NDC spokesman Sammy Gyamfi told reporters the party’s internal review of results showed Mahama won 56.3 percent of the vote against 41.3 percent for Bawumia. “It is very clear the people of this country have voted for change,” Gyamfi said. Political parties had agents at polling stations to observe and tally the initial vote counts before the ballots were sent for official collation by the election commission.