President John Dramani Mahama is hopeful Ghana's democracy will further be strengthened after Wednesday's election.

According to him, Ghana's tag as a beacon of democracy in the African sub region will go a notch higher after the election.

“I believe in the strength of our democracy and I am confident that Ghana will emerge from tomorrow's poll even stronger and more respected among the committee of nations,” he said while addressing the nation.

Ghanaians will go to the polls on Wednesday to elect the next president for the country as well as elect members of parliament to represent them in the law making arm of government.

So far the country seems tensed with many calling for peace before, during and after the election.

This follows violent clashes that had erupted in recent times between supporters of the two biggest parties in the country – the New Patriotic Party and the governing National Democratic Congress.

But according to President Mahama “securing a peaceful election will rest heavily on how we conduct ourselves” and further called on Ghanaians to comport themselves during the polls.

The president also used the opportunity to encouraged Ghanaians to vote in Wednesday's poll and also admonished polling officials to conduct themselves in a neutral manner.

“All is ready for a successful election. It is your civic responsibility to vote. Let everyone exercise their franchise in deciding who governs our dear country in the next four years…I believe in the strength of our institutions to undertake this task and I urge all polling officials and others who will be on duty in connection with the election to conduct themselves in a fair and neutral manner,” he added. </s> President John Dramani Mahama will this evening, December 6, 2016 address the nation, barely a day to the December 7 polls.

A statement from the presidency said the address will be live on radio and TV at 9pm.

“The President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, HE John Dramani Mahama, will at 9pm tonight, on Ghana Television and Radio Ghana, address the nation ahead of tomorrow’s Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.”

Ghanaians to elect next president on Wednesday

About 15 million Ghanaian voters are expected to elect the country’s next president on Wednesday.

President John Mahama who is seeking a second term mandate is facing stiff opposition from Nana Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Others in the race include: Ivor Greenstreet, presidential canididate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention and an independent candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah. </s> ACCRA, Ghana — Voters in Ghana are choosing Wednesday between their incumbent leader and a three-time opposition presidential candidate amid widespread concerns about the credibility of the country's electoral commission.

The commission faced intense criticism after thousands of names were missing from voter lists during the December 1 early voting exercise reserved for security personnel, election officials and journalists. After acknowledging the setback, voting was extended to a second day.

Despite those hitches, election officials and the leading parties have urged Ghanaians to trust the electoral process and commit to peace.

"We are very ready and prepared," said Eric Kofi Dzakpasu, the commission's communications head. "All (voters) need to do is take their ID cards, go to the polling stations, vote and go home as we count the ballots. Everything is in order."

In what is expected to be a close race between two veteran politicians, incumbent President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress is facing off against main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party.

Candidates from four smaller parties are also on the ballot, including Ghana's first physically challenged contender and a former first lady.

This election marks the third time Akufo-Addo has run for president. In 2008, he lost by a narrow margin after a run-off to then-President John Atta Mills. He ran again in 2012, but lost to Mahama after alleging fraud and petitioning the Supreme Court to review the results. Now Akufo-Addo's party says that after eight years of an incompetent NDC-led government, Ghanaians are fed up.

"All the economic indicators show that this government has not performed," Curtis Perry Okudzeto, the NPP's deputy director of communications, told the AP. "The mood around the country shows that the people are ready for change. We're hopeful that we'll win by very comfortable margins."

Despite a boost in government revenues from oil production that began at the end of 2010, Mahama's first term was overshadowed by crippling power shortages, high inflation and a slowdown in overall economic growth. In 2015, Mahama's government agreed to a $918 million loan from the International Monetary Fund to create jobs and accelerate growth, a move the opposition says is evidence of the president's incompetence and economic mismanagement.

"Over the four years, we have managed to stabilize our economy," Mahama said Monday night in the capital Accra. "We have resolved our power challenges and we have significantly improved our social and economic infrastructures. We can only advance faster if we press on and stay the course. That is how we can consolidate the gains we have made."

The 58-year-old Mahama previously served as a member of parliament and the minister for communications before becoming vice-president in 2009. After the sudden death of President Atta Mills in July 2012, Mahama ascended to the presidency to serve the remaining five months of his predecessor's term. </s> Counting was underway in Ghana yesterday after presidential and parliamentary polls closed, in what has been touted a close contest between incumbent John Mahama and his rival Nana Akufo-Addo.

The majority of polling stations closed at 5:00PM on Wednesday, officials said.

The elections come at a time of severe economic decline in the West African country, and amid a volley of accusations of financial mismanagement on part of the ruling party.

For years, Ghana was one of Africa’s most dynamic economies. But it slumped in 2014 as commodities prices fell, and a fiscal crisis widened the budget deficit and elevated inflation.

Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party says the government has mismanaged national finances, including revenue from oil from an offshore field operated by British company Tullow that became operational in 2010.

The government has denied the accusations and urged voters for vote it, arguing that growth would return to at least eight percent in 2017.

“Every Ghanaian should exercise their civic responsibility and come out and vote. The destiny of our country depends on it,” Mahama said as he cast his ballot in the town of Bole, Northern region.

At least 15 million people were registered to vote in Wednesday’s election.

A run-off between the top two candidates will follow if no candidate wins a majority.

Reports showed few voting problems, according to the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers. But voting was re-scheduled for yesterday in Jaman North constituency in Brong Ahafo region because of security concerns and logistical problems.

There are seven presidential contenders, including five minor candidates. In a parallel parliamentary vote, 275 seats are being contested.

Elections in Ghana are famously close races, with Mahama narrowly winning in 2012 with 50.7 percent.

Ghana is considered a beacon of democracy in West Africa, and has a history of peaceful elections.

The government of the day has lost power twice since 2000. But ahead of this week’s election there were reports of voter intimidation. Police said one person was beaten to death, with six others left in critical condition, in clashes between supporters of the two main parties after a rally in the north on Monday.

Meanwhile, hackers have targeted the website of Ghana’s electoral commission ahead of the release of results from a narrowly contested presidential election.

The commission reported the incident on Twitter yesterday, saying it deplored the “attempt to hack” the site, which was offline for a few hours early yesterday.

Despite a relatively peaceful election, tensions are growing after the main opposition New Patriotic Party on Thursday urged incumbent President John Dramani Mahama to concede defeat after the NPP’s internal polling data determined the opposition was poised to win.

The incumbent party denounced the press conference, calling it “irresponsible”, according to local media reports.

Election officials have urged Ghanaians to patiently await the official vote tallies and to dismiss purported results from unofficial sources.-AFP </s> The Electoral Commission (EC), has declared the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, the winner of the 2016 elections.

The NPP Flagbearer finally secured the presidency after a third time, beating the incumbent, President John Mahama with 53.85 percent of valid votes cast.

Nana Akufo-Addo rode on the back of the valid votes cast to become Ghana’s fifth president under the fourth Republic.

President Mahama, who ran on the ticket of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), secured 44.40 of valid votes cast.

President Mahama's defeat makes him the first incumbent to lose an election since Ghana returned to multi-party democracy in 1992.

The NPP Flagbearer had already acknowledged the concession of five of six other contenders some 48 hours to the official declaration of results by the EC.

The candidates of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Dr. Edward Mahama, the National Democratic Party (NDP), Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom and the independent candidate, Jacob Osei Yeboah, all called him to concede the election.

These five candidates all secured 1.76 percent of votes cast.

15, 712, 499 persons were registered to vote in this election across 28, 992 polling stations across the 275 constituencies. Figures from the EC indicate that the election saw a turnout of

He is the second candidate to have won the presidency after contesting for the third time. The late President John Atta Mills also won the seat on the third ask.

Nana Akufo-Addo comes from a rich political heritage with three of the iconic Big Six, the founding fathers of Ghana, being his relatives.

They were J. B. Danquah, his grand-uncle; William Ofori-Atta, his uncle and Edward Akufo-Addo, the third Chief Justice of Ghana and later the ceremonial President of the Republic from 1969 to 1972 as his father.

Nana Akufo-Addo himself, aged 72, has already served Ghana as the Attorney General and then as Foreign Minister in the John Kufuor-led NPP government from 2000 to 2008.

Unlike the 2012 election campaign where the Nana Akufo-Addo and his party campaigned on a platform of educational reform with the free SHS promise, the Nana Akufo-Addo’s campaign for the presidency was on the back of a promise address unemployment and job creation with the NPP’s 2016 manifesto themed “Change: An agenda for jobs”. </s> Ghanaians are casting their ballots in neck and neck presidential and parliamentary polls, held at a time of economic woes and corruption scandals that have eroded President John Mahama's lustre.

Mahama's main rival is veteran politician and former foreign minister, Nana Akufo-Addo. The winner of Wednesday's election will serve a four-year term in a formerly booming country that has seen its economy sputter, currency deteriorate and inflation soar.

There are some 15 million registered voters. Polling started at 07:00 GMT and will close at 17:00 GMT across the West African country.

READ MORE: Ghanaian voices oncoming presidential elections

An exporter of gold and cocoa, and one of Africa's most successful oil exporters, Ghana was once hailed as a regional growth model but has now taken on too much debt.

There are seven candidates battling for the top job and, if the smaller parties perform well and deny either man a majority, a presidential run-off will be held later in December.

Mahama, 58, is running for a second term, with Akufo-Addo, 72, making his third, and likely last, bid for the highest office.

Leaving nothing to chance on the last day of campaigning on Monday, Mahama held three rallies in the major swing regions of Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti and Greater Accra.

Mahama has announced several infrastructure projects during the campaign.

"Throughout the election campaign, the president approved a series of major and eye-catching infrastructure projects to prove to voters that government spending was not going to waste or being stolen," said Al Jazeera's Nicholas Haque, reporting from Accra.

"But the trouble is Ghana is spending more than it can afford. There are hospitals left half built. Despite pressing need for medical staff, the state can't afford to pay nurses or doctors any more."

Corruption scandals

Akufo-Addo, on the other hand, has campaigned on Ghana's poor economic growth, the slowest rate in two decades, at 3.3 percent in 2016, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and has outlined detailed plans to get the economy back on track.

He has lambasted Mahama's ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government over a series of corruption scandals in which scores of judges have been implicated. Critics say he squandered the country's commodity wealth and turned a blind eye to graft within his inner circle.

During his tenure, the Bank of Ghana controversially bought half a million dollars worth of gold Swiss watches for some of its staff.

The leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has also alleged that the ruling party is fomenting violence, a claim Mahama denies.

But tension is rising in advance of the high-stakes election.

Police said an NPP supporter was beaten to death, with six others left in critical condition, in clashes between supporters of the two main parties after a rally in the north on Monday.

Elections in Ghana are famously closely fought, with Mahama narrowly winning in 2012 with 50.7 percent. </s> One pollster predicts Ghana's incumbent President John Mahama will win elections with 52 percent of the vote on December 7, 2016. By PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (AFP)

Accra (AFP) - Ghanaians cast their ballots on Wednesday in neck and neck presidential and parliamentary polls held at a time of economic woes and corruption scandals that have eroded President John Mahama's lustre.

Mahama's main rival is veteran politician and former foreign minister Nana Akufo-Addo. The winner will serve a four-year term in a formerly booming country that has seen its economy sputter, currency deteriorate and inflation soar.

There are some 15 million registered voters. Polling starts at 0700 GMT and closes at 1700 GMT across the West African country.

An exporter of gold, cocoa and oil, Ghana was once hailed as a regional growth model but has now taken on too much debt.

There are seven candidates battling for the top job and if the smaller parties perform well and deny either men a majority, a presidential run-off will be held later in December.

Mahama, 58, is running for a second term, with Akufo-Addo, 72, making his third -- and likely last -- bid for the highest office.

Leaving nothing to chance on the last day of campaigning Monday, Mahama held three rallies in the major swing regions of Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti and Greater Accra.

Mahama's final rally was full of supporters wearing white -- a sign of victory -- banging cowbells, dancing and posing for selfies.

"We're celebrating already," said Alhaji Guntula, a 45-year-old businessman with his face painted white told AFP. "He's winning hands down."

Mahama has announced several infrastructure projects during the campaign.

In contrast, Akufo-Addo has hammered on Ghana's poor economic growth, the slowest rate in two decades at 3.3 percent in 2016 according to the International Monetary Fund, and has outlined detailed plans to get the economy back on track.

He has lambasted Mahama's ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government over a series of corruption scandals in which scores of judges have been implicated. Critics say he squandered the country's commodity wealth and turned a blind eye to graft within his inner circle.

During his tenure, the Bank of Ghana controversially bought half a million dollars worth of gold Swiss watches for some of its staff.

The leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has also alleged that the ruling party is fomenting violence, a claim Mahama denies.

But tension is rising ahead of the high stakes election.

Ghana police said a NPP supporter was beaten to death, with six others left in critical condition in clashes between supporters of the two main parties after a rally in the north on Monday.

Elections in Ghana are famously close fought, with Mahama narrowly winning in 2012 with 50.7 percent.

But polls in Africa this year have been a mixed bag of surprising triumphs and sobering failures for democracy.

In Gambia, a dictator of 22 years conceded defeat, while in oil-rich Gabon the Bongo family continued its 50-year reign after a disputed election. But Ghana is still seen as an example of peace and stability in West Africa.

Pollsters are divided in a country whose democratic credentials have come under scrutiny after criticism of its electoral commission following the 2012 elections.

"The inauguration of Mahama's projects have attracted the swing voters," said pollster Ben Ephson, who has predicted Mahama will win 52 percent of the votes, mainly from working class constituencies.

Following the last elections in 2012, Akufo-Addo -- who polled 47.7 percent of the vote -- contested the results in Ghana's constitutional court, although he was ultimately unsuccessful.

Akufo-Addo, who said previously that he would accept the results even if he loses, added recently: "Those are hurdles we have to jump once we get there". </s> Ghana's main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo said he was "quietly confident" he had beaten incumbent President John Mahama in the presidential elections, a claim promptly rejected by the ruling party.

The electoral commission has yet to release results from this week's elections but the opposition said it had tabulated figures from individual constituencies.

Afuko-Addo told hundreds of supporters in the capital Accra on Thursday that his New Patriotic Party (NPP) had taken a majority of seats in parliament but he called for calm and urged patience to allow the electoral commission time to deliver the results.

"We in the NPP are quietly confident that we have won a famous and historic victory," Akufo-Addo said.

Officials from Mahama's National Democratic Congress (NDC) rejected the claims and said the incumbent was on track for re-election.

Update: As at now, we have received 25 Constituency Collated results at the National Collation Centre #ghanaelection2016 #ghanadecides pic.twitter.com/IID6G9CjPe — Electoral Commission (@ECGhanaOfficial) December 8, 2016

Al Jazeera's Nicholas Haque, reporting from the capital Accra, said that Ghanaians were anxiously waiting for the final results.

"Outside the election commisison, police are out in full force and they want to ensure that the outcome is peaceful," our correspondent said.

Mahama is running for a second and final term in office against the backdrop of an economy that has slowed since he took office in 2013, partly because of a slump in global prices for its exports of gold, cocoa and oil.

Akufo-Addo, a former foreign minister, has focused on Ghana's economic woes as a campaign theme, and has repeatedly accused Mahama and the NDC of incompetence.

Let's allow EC to carry out its constitutional mandate. We'll make Ghana proud no matter outcome. — John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) December 9, 2016

Akufo-Addo's statement was the first by a major party leader since the election and reflects opposition belief that after eight years in the wilderness it has won back power.

However, it also appeared aimed at tempering NPP members' earlier claims of an insurmountable lead for Akufo-Addo and calls for Mahama to concede defeat.

READ MORE: Ghanaian voices on coming presidential elections

"The NPP has done everything to try to bastardise the 2016 general election. We are doing our analysis and President Mahama is leading Akufo-Addo," Koku Anyidoho, a senior NDC official, told a news conference.

Privately, senior aides to Mahama say he remains confident.

Joy FM, a private radio station, put Akufo-Addo at 51.42 percent and Mahama at 46.72 percent with 176 of 275 constituencies counted.

Website GhanaWeb gave results for 160 constituencies and said Akufo-Addo had 55.8 percent with Mahama on 42.5 percent. Minor candidates took the other votes.

Seven candidates are contesting Ghana's presidency. If no one wins a majority, there will be a runoff between the top two.

The election has tested the Ghana Electoral Commission and its new Commissioner, Charlotte Osei. Observers reported almost no major problems on election day but the NPP and the National Peace Council on Thursday urged the commission to start releasing results quickly.

Osei told a news conference that the commission had collated results from 90 constituencies and would release them, though she gave no timeframe. She said technical problems had delayed other results.

"We want to assure you that we cannot change the results in any way. We cannot manipulate those results," she said. </s> Millions of Ghanaians all over the country will head to the polls this morning, December 7, 2016 to take part in the presidential and parliamentary elections.

A total number of 15, 712, 499 registered voters will be expected to cast their ballots when polls open at 7am across the country.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has already announced that voting will take place in 28, 992 polling stations across the 275 constituencies and over 15 million voters are expected to cast their ballot.

Today’s elections will be the seventh in the country's fourth republic.

Seven candidates including the incumbent John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the presidential candidate of the largest opposition party, New Patriotic Party, (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will contest the presidential polls.

Also contesting in the presidential elections are the flagbearers of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Dr. Edward Mahama, the National Democratic Party (NDP), Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom.

Jacob Osei Yeboah, who also contested the polls in 2012 is the only independent candidate in the race.

2012 Election Petition

The 2012 presidential elections gained international media attention after the NPP contested the validity of the results of the polls at the Supreme Court.

The party accused the Electoral Commission of rigging the elections for President John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress.

Even though Mr. Mahama had been sworn in as the president, the hearing of the case which lasted for about eight months proceeded.

The apex Court eventually dismissed their case, with the NPP accepting the judgement of the court.

Special voting

Wednesday’s election started with 101,014 voters cast their ballots during Thursday and Sunday’s early voting.

The Electoral Commission (EC) announced an extra day for Special voting to prevent the special voters including security personnel, media and election officials from being disenfranchised.

The decision was taken after the first day of the exercise was fraught with challenges as hundreds of registered voters who had turned up to vote were turned away as their names were not on the register.

However, voters faced similar challenges on the second day.

The Electoral Commission which had initially decided to allow voters to cast their ballots in the constituencies of their choice announced on Wednesday that persons must vote in the constituencies they registered in.

This created some controversy as several persons who had their names in the registers of constituencies they lived in and had gone to the centres to vote were sent back.

Checks revealed that voters had to go back to the constituencies in which they had originally registered in order to cast their ballots.

The situation inconvenienced several people who had not been aware of the change and had turned up at the wrong polling stations and left them stranded.

Parliamentary Polls

Ghanaians will also elect their Members of Parliament (MPs) on December 7.

1,158 parliamentary candidates are contesting the 275 parliamentary seats according to the EC; only 136 aspirants, however, are women.

The parliamentary results will be declared at the constituency collation centres by the returning officers in each of the constituencies.

Parties end with massive rallies

The two leading parties, NDC and NDC, marked the end of the campaign period with huge rallies in the capital Accra.

The NPP held their final national rally on Sunday at the Trade Fair Centre with speeches from top officials of the party including the presidential candidate, Nana Addo, running mate, Mahamudu Bawumia, former President J.A Kufuor and Acting national chairman Freddie Blay.

NPP’s final rally at Trade Fair

Thousands of the party’s supported packed the streets for the rally, one of the NPP’s largest in years.

Thousands of supporters of the NDC also thronged the Accra Sports Stadium on Monday for the party’s final Greater Accra Regional rally.

Supporters and sympathisers of the governing party trooped into the stadium as the party capped off its campaign season in style.

Party officials took turns on the stage to address the crowd, including the General Secretary Asiedu Nketia and National Chairman Kofi Portuphy.

The Vice President also spoke at the rally, attacking the NPP’s change agenda and the party’s running mate in the elections Dr Mahamudu Bawumia over the “170 questions.

President Mahama was the final speaker, promising to ensure that the country goes through the elections peacefully.

He also called on Ghanaians to retain the NDC in power to continue the developmental projects which the party had started.
Voters go to the polls in Ghana for the country's presidential elections. It is expected to be a close race between incumbent president John Dramani Mahama of the ruling National Democratic Congress party and his rival Nana Akufo-Addo and his New Patriotic Party.