Ghana’s ruling party candidate concedes presidential election to his opposition rival

By Francis Kokutse and Chinedu Asadu

Ghana’s vice president and ruling party candidate, Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat Sunday to opposition candidate and former President John Dramani Mahama in the West African nation’s tightly contested presidential election.

Ahead of the official announcement, Bawumia told reporters that he respects the decision of Ghanaians to vote for change. “I’ve just called His Excellency John Mahama to congratulate him as president-elect of the Republic of Ghana,” he said at his residence in the capital, Accra.

Mahama acknowledged the call from the ruling party candidate in a post on the X platform, describing his victory as “emphatic.”

Celebrations broke out among the supporters of the opposition candidate in parts of the country, including the capital city.

The election was held against the backdrop of the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation and was seen as a litmus test for democracy in a region shaken by extremist violence and coups.