Ghana Election: Opposition Tells President To Concede Defeat

Agency report

Ghana’s main opposition party has called on President John Mahama to concede defeat, stating that it has a strong lead in Wednesday’s presidential election.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) said its candidate Nana Akufo-Addo has won 52 per cent of the vote according to its own tally, against 44.8 per cent for Mahama.

“These are results that were declared at the polling stations. I am calling on the president to concede defeat,’’ NPP campaign chief Peter Mac Manu said.

But the incumbent president’s campaign team has dismissed the opposition party’s claim, calling it “treasonable”.

A senior official for the ruling party Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo countered that Mahama was “comfortably ahead” and asked his supporters to remain calm.

“The results are still trickling in and the call and declaration by the NPP is irresponsible and treasonable because it can throw this country into chaos,’’ he added.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission said it had not certified any results in the closely fought race to lead the West African nation that has seen a series of peaceful transfers of power.

But local media reports show the opposition making gains in both the presidential and parliamentary polls.

Ghana is one of Africa’s most stable democracies and voters have rejected the government of the day twice since 2000.

Until 2014, the country also had one of Africa’s most dynamic economies, though growth has slowed in part due to a fall in the price of its commodity exports.