Ghana Elects New President Amid Economic Challenges
Ghana's voters took to the polls on December 7, 2024, to elect a new president, marking a significant moment in the country's political landscape. Incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was unable to seek re-election after serving two terms, paving the way for his deputy, Mahamudu Bawumia, to run for office. Bawumia, 61, is leveraging his background as an economist and has committed to modernizing Ghana's economy with a strong emphasis on digitalization.
His main opponent, John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), previously served as president from 2012 to 2017. At 66, Mahama is advocating for a fresh start, proposing new initiatives aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs and farmers. With 18.7 million registered voters, the youth demographic, particularly those aged 18 to 35, is expected to play a crucial role in determining the election outcome.
As voters began arriving at polling stations at 7:00 GMT, observers noted that opinion polls suggested neither Bawumia nor Mahama would surpass the 50% vote threshold required to win outright in the first round. The election comes at a time when Ghana faces significant economic challenges, including an unemployment rate exceeding 14%, rising living costs, and issues related to poor infrastructure, corruption, currency devaluation, and environmental pollution.
