Ghana’s former leader John Dramani Mahama was officially declared the winner of the presidential election on Monday evening, after voters vented anger at the government’s handling of the economy.
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Previously president between 2012 and 2017, Mahama, 65, received 6.3 million votes, or 56.5 per cent of votes cast, the electoral commission said.
Mahama’s main opponent, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat on Sunday. Bawumia got 4.6 million votes, or 41 per cent.
The turnout based on the votes from 267 constituencies stands at 60.9 per cent, said Jean Mensa, the electoral commissioner. Although vote counting was continuing in nine constituencies, that will not change the final result, Mensa added.
Mahama has described his victory as “emphatic”. He had promised to “reset” the country on various fronts, during a campaign that prioritised the economy and largely appealed to young Ghanaians who saw the vote as a way out of the country’s economic crisis.
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