John Mahama Wins 2024 Ghana Election, Declared President-Elect with 56% of Vote
John Dramani Mahama, leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has been officially declared Ghana’s president-elect following the country’s 2024 general elections.
The announcement came on Monday, December 9, 2024, from Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC).
Nationwide polls held on Saturday, December 7, resulted in a decisive win for Mr. Mahama, who secured 6,328,397 votes, accounting for 56.55% of the total. His main rival, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President and presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), received 4,657,304 votes, or 41.61%.
Jean Mensa explained that results were finalized from 267 of Ghana’s 276 constituencies, as unresolved issues delayed the collation of results in nine constituencies. However, she assured the public that even if all 947,000 outstanding votes were allocated to Dr. Bawumia, it would not affect the overall outcome.
Mr. Mahama’s lead over Dr. Bawumia stands at 1,671,093 votes.
The EC reported that 11,191,422 valid votes were cast, with 239,109 ballots rejected. Total voter turnout across the 267 constituencies was 60.9%, based on a registered voter population of 18,774,159.
In addition to the presidential election, Ghanaians voted for new Members of Parliament (MPs). Although some parliamentary results remain contested, the NDC has won a clear majority in Parliament.
The election day started peacefully but was later disrupted in certain areas by violence, allegations of vote rigging, and delays in result collation. The unrest resulted in three deaths and numerous injuries. Police have arrested 89 individuals for election-related offences, according to the Ghana Police Service.
Despite the tensions, Dr. Bawumia conceded defeat and congratulated Mr. Mahama before the official results were announced. NDC National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi has urged party supporters to remain calm and avoid engaging in conflict.
