BEVERLY HILLS, December 09, (THEWILL) – In what has become somewhat a trend, incumbent President of Ghana, John Mahama, has called his rival Nana Akufo-Addo and candidate of the major opposition party, New Patriotic Party (NPP) to concede defeat in the presidential election.
State broadcaster Ghana Television (GTV) alerted that President John Mahama had conceded defeat in a telephone call that Akufo-Addo confirmed with a tweet.
“A few minutes ago, I received a call from President @JDMahama congratulating me on winning the 2016 Presidential Election,” he said @NAkufoAddo.
Mahama called Akufo-Addo to congratulate him, having maintained a comfortable lead in the poll for more than 24 hours, despite the fact that Ghana’s electoral commission had not yet announced the official result nor declared Akufo-Addo winner.
Mahama follows the pattern set by some African leaders who have conceded elections in the past four years such as Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, and Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia.
Meanwhile, following the call, Ghana’s Electoral Commissioner, Charlotte Osei announced that Akufo-Addo defeated Mahama by 53.8 percent to 44.4 percent,
Thus, Akufo-Addo won the presidency on his third run for the office, a race that was largely seen as a referendum on how the incumbent party had managed the economy in this long stable democracy.
“I make this solemn pledge to you tonight: I will not let you down. I will do all in my power to live up to your hopes and expectations,” Akufo-Addo told a jubilant crowd in the garden of his residence.
Akufo-Addo, 72, served as foreign minister and attorney general in the NPP government that ruled between 2001 and 2009 and twice previously lost close battles for the presidency.
Mahama later addressed his supporters saying “as president I have done my bit. I have made a contribution to the political, social and economic development of our country. I would have cherished an opportunity to do even more but I respect the will of the Ghanaian people.”
Story by Oputah David
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