Ghana’s Electoral Commission has officially approved 13 candidates for the upcoming 2024 presidential election, including Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Dramani Mahama. The election, set for December 7, will determine the successor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, who will step down in January after completing two terms in office, as mandated by the constitution.
Mahama, 65, is running as the candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), while Bawumia, 60, an economist and former central banker, represents the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Historically, no party in Ghana’s democratic era has won more than two consecutive terms.
Other approved candidates include Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, a former trade and industry minister running as an independent, businessman Nana Kwame Bediako, and Nana Akosua Frimpomaa, one of two female contenders in the race.
Earlier this week, the NDC staged nationwide protests against alleged voter irregularities, accusing the electoral commission of transferring voters to new polling stations without their knowledge. The commission has promised to review the party’s petition and respond soon.
Public confidence in Ghana’s electoral body is at an all-time low, according to a July survey by Afrobarometer, further challenging the commission as the nation prepares for its next election.
