Ghana's Upcoming Presidential Election: A Historic Candidate Lineup
Ghana's electoral commission has officially announced the list of 13 candidates approved to contest in the upcoming presidential elections scheduled for December 7, 2023. This election is poised to be a significant event in the West African nation, as Vice President Mahamadou Bawumia and former President John Dramani Mahama are set to be the frontrunners. Voters will be selecting a successor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, who will step down after completing his constitutionally mandated eight-year term.
The candidates represent a diverse array of political backgrounds, with Mahama, 65, leading the opposition from the National Democratic Congress, while Bawumia, 60, is the candidate for the New Patriots Party, bringing his experience as an economist and former central bank governor to the race. The electoral commission's list marks a historic moment, as it features the longest list of candidates in Ghana's electoral history, according to research group Global Info Analytics-Accra.
Among the notable candidates is Allan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, a former Trade and Industry Minister who has chosen to run as an independent after resigning from the ruling party. Additionally, first-time businessman Nana Kwame Bediako and Nana Akosua Frimpoma, one of two women in the race, are also vying for the presidency. While the official list includes 13 candidates, analysts suggest that the election will likely boil down to a contest among four main candidates: Bawumia, Mahama, Kyerematen, and Bediako.
As the election approaches, concerns about the integrity of the electoral process have surfaced. A recent poll by Afrobarometer revealed that public confidence in Ghana's electoral commission has reached its lowest point since 1999, raising questions about the transparency and fairness of the upcoming elections.
