INCUMBENT PRESIDENT, MAHAMA WINS ELECTION IN GHANA

John Dramani Mahama, the incumbent president of Ghana who took over power in July following the death of ex-president John Atta Mills, has been declared winner of Ghana's 2012 presidential elections by the head of the country's Electoral Commission (EC), Kwadwo Afari-Gyan.

The EC boss said Mahama got 5.57 million representing 50.70 per cent of total valid votes cast to emerge winner of the election.  His opponent 68-year old Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), scored 5.24 million representing 47.74 per cent of total valid votes cast.
His victory seals a second term victory for his National Democratic Congress (NDC) while opening a new chapter for the elected president who until July this year was Ghana's vice president.  

By this result, Mahama has led his party to a much-better victory than the razor-thin victory secured by his party in the 2008 after two run-offs.

The Progressive People’s Party’s candidate, Papa Kwesi Nduom earned the third position as he polled 64, 362 votes making up 0.59 per cent of the total votes cast.

He was followed by the Presidential candidate of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Henry Lartey. He polled 38, 223 out of the total vote cast which is 0.35 per cent.

The Presidential candidate of the People’s National Convention, (PNC) Hassan Ayariga had 24, 617 votes making up 0.22 per cent.

The Convention People’s Party’s Presidential candidate, Abu Sakara came sixth as he secured 20,323 results which is 0.18 per cent.

The only Independent candidate contesting this year’s elections, Jacob Osei Yeboah who concede defeat on Saturday had 15, 201 votes totaling 0.14 per cent.

And finally, the Presidential candidate of the United Front Party (UFP), Akwasi Odai Odike polled 8,877 making a total of 0.08 per cent.

The total valid votes were 10,955, 626, total votes cast, 11, 246, 982. The total rejected votes, 251, 720. The total number of registered voters, 14,158, 890, the total number of Constituencies, 275 and the voter turnout was 79.43 per cent.

John Dramani Mahama

In his declaration, Afari Gyan said: “Based on the results given I have declared President John Dramani Mahama as the President elect.”

Nana Akufo-Addo's NPP alleged there were rigging in parts of the country in favour of the president. In a draft statement seen by reporters, the opposition said it would contest the results.

"This situation, if allowed to go unchallenged and uncorrected, would seriously damage the essence of the electoral process and the substance of democracy in Ghana".

"To accept this result is to discredit democracy in Ghana and, in the process, distort the process of democratization in Africa'', he said.

Therefore, the New Patriotic Party cannot accept the results of the presidential election as declared by the EC (election commission) this evening," he said.

"These results cannot be forced down the throat of the people of Ghana," NPP chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey told reporters at a news conference in Accra, urging electoral officials to delay announcing a winner.

NPP's Obetsebi-Lamptey said he had evidence of electoral workers conspiring to rig tallies and added the party had sent a formal letter of complaint to the electoral commission asking for an audit before full results are released.

Despite the allegations, the electoral commission says the claim is unsubstantiated. Also, international observers endorsed the elections, calling the vote credible despite the delays caused by the failure of the voter identification machines to work in numerous precincts. The election was also plagued by delays due to the late arrival of voting materials, which resulted in some voters spending 12 or more hours in line.

"There were hiccups but not such that would grossly undermine the result of the election," said former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who led the delegation from ECOWAS, the bloc representing nations in West Africa.