ACCRA: Ghanaians voted in tight elections on Saturday, with Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia trying to shake off anger over economic woes under the current government to stave off opposition party ex-president John Mahama.

Ghana’s struggling economy dominated the race, after the West Africa gold and cacao producer went through a debt default, high inflation and negotiations for a $3 billion IMF bailout.

Voters are choosing a successor to Bawumia’s boss, President Nana Akufo-Addo, who steps down after serving the maximum of two four-year terms. They will also elect the country’s new parliament.

Voting was mostly calm, but one person was shot dead and four people arrested at a polling station in Nyankpala in the country’s northern region, police and local media said.

Morning turnout appeared slow in parts of Accra, but steady in other neighbourhoods. Muslim women in colourful headscarves waited on wooden benches to vote in Nima district, while students and shop workers cast their ballots in middle-class Ayawaso.

“We want to vote for change, the economic situation is very hard,” said retired policeman James Nsiah, casting his ballot in the Jamestown area of Accra.

Polling closes at 1700 GMT. Early results are expected on Sunday, with full presidential results scheduled by Tuesday. With a history of political stability, Ghana’s two main parties, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), have alternated in power equally since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992.

Touting the slogan “Break the 8” — a reference to going past the usual two terms in power — the NPP hopes Bawumia can lead them to an unprecedented third term. But he struggled to break away from criticism of Akufo-Addo’s economic record.

“I am very hopeful of winning,” Bawumia told reporters when he voted in the north. “I think we have done a lot of work with our message to the people and the message has been well received.” A UK-educated economist and former central banker, he points to an economy turning a corner and the government’s continued plans for digitalisation to ease business, as well as free education and health programmes.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2024