Ghana’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has accredited defeat in Saturday’s election and congratulated the opposition candidate, former President John Mahama, on his victory.”The folk have voted for exchange,” mentioned Bawumia.The elections come amid the rustic’s worst financial disaster in a technology, which noticed the price of fundamental items shoot up, whilst younger other people struggled to get jobs and the rustic was once not able to pay off its money owed.In spite of Bawumia’s concession, no professional effects were declared.The Electoral Fee (EC) mentioned effects have been behind schedule as a result of supporters of the 2 major events have been impeding the method and it had requested the police to transparent the collation centres.Mahama’s supporters have taken to the streets across the nation to have fun, cheering, waving flags, blowing horns and spinning motorbikes.”I am so excited for this victory,” Salifu Abdul-Fatawu advised the BBC within the central town of Kumasi.He mentioned he was hoping it will imply that he and his sibling would get jobs, whilst the cost of meals and gas would come down.Even NPP supporter Nana accredited that “my celebration is NPP, however no matter they did was once no longer excellent.”The machine was once so unhealthy in an election yr and so the general public weren’t satisfied.”Even supposing the election has normally been non violent, two other people have been shot lifeless on Saturday in separate incidents, whilst the electoral fee workplace within the northern the town of Damongo has been destroyed, allegedly by means of NDC supporters offended on the delays in pronouncing the consequences. Ghanaians had anticipated the primary effects to be introduced inside hours of the polls last, then again the top of the Electoral Fee has requested for persistence, noting that it has 72 days to claim the consequences.Warehouses have additionally been looted in each Damongo, and Tamale, additionally within the north.Bawumia mentioned he was once basing his concession on inside tallies from the governing New Patriotic Birthday party (NPP).He mentioned those confirmed Mahama had received “decisively”, whilst the opposition Nationwide Democratic Congress (NDC) had additionally received the parliamentary election.Mahama showed that Bawumia had referred to as to congratulate him on his “emphatic victory”.The NDC previous mentioned that its inside effects confirmed Mahama had received 56% of the vote in opposition to 41% for Bawumia. The vice-president mentioned he was once accepting defeat earlier than the professional announcement of the consequences “to steer clear of additional rigidity and maintain the peace of our nation”.The United States embassy within the capital, Accra, has congratulated Ghana on “a a hit election”.President Nana Akufo-Addo is stepping down after attaining the professional restrict of 2 phrases in workplace. Mahama, 65, in the past led Ghana from 2012 till 2017, when he was once changed by means of Akufo-Addo. Mahama additionally misplaced the 2020 election so this victory represents a shocking comeback.For the reason that go back of multi-party politics to Ghana in 1992, the NDC and the NPP have alternated in continual.No celebration has ever received greater than two consecutive phrases in continual – a pattern that appears set to proceed.Mahama’s earlier time in workplace was once marred by means of an unwell financial system, widespread power-cuts and corruption scandals.Then again, Ghanaians hope it is going to be other this time spherical.All the way through the marketing campaign, Mahama promised to turn into Ghana right into a “24-hour financial system”.In Tamale, NDC supporter Gajia One advised the BBC: “We passed over to them [NPP] and idea they might set up the rustic neatly, however they have got failed, and we take all over again.” “John Mahama is the proper guy to rule this nation. We’re bored stiff.”The brand new president shall be sworn in on 7 January 2025.Further reporting by means of Natasha Booty
