EC boss declares Akufo-Addo as Prez-elect
After long hours of keeping Ghanaians on tenterhooks, regarding the outcome of the 2016 general election, the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Charlotte Osei, last night declared Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), winner of the 2016 presidential election.
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Nana Akufo-Addo secured 5,716,609 votes, representing 53.84 per cent, to snatch the presidency from the incumbent, President John Dramani Mahama, who secured 4,713,277 votes, representing 44.40 per cent in the general election held last Wednesday.
The results excluded those of Kwahu Afram Plains North which were outstanding, as well as those of Upper West Akyem, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba and Tamale Central which were being contested.
At a press conference to announce the results in Accra, Mrs Osei, flanked by the other members of the EC, said the total votes of the four constituencies totalled 220,270, and, therefore, their results were “immaterial to the final outcome of the polls.”
Therefore, by the powers conferred on her by the 1992 Constitution, the EC Chairperson declared Nana Akufo-Addo “as the President-elect of the Republic of Ghana.”
She said the commission had kept its promise to let Ghanaians know the winner of the elections within 72 hours.
Other results
Apart from the election results of President Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo, the EC said Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) won 25,395 votes, representing 0.24 per cent, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) won 105,682, representing 1.0 per cent, while Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings obtained 16, 878, constituting 0.16 per cent.
In the case of Dr Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention (PNC), he had 22,214 votes, constituting 0.21 per cent, while Jacob Osei Yeboah, an independent candidate, polled 15,889 votes, representing 0.15 per cent.
The total number on the voters register for the December 7 general election was 15,712,499. Out of this number, 10,781,609 voters exercised their franchise at 28,992 polling stations in 275 constituencies.
However, the total valid votes cast was 10,615,361, representing 68.62 per cent, while 166,248 ballots were rejected.
Mrs Osei thanked the National Peace Council, the Judiciary, domestic and international observers, security agencies, political parties, the media and all Ghanaians for their support and cooperation with the EC in ensuring a peaceful and successful election.
The end of the John era
The election of Nana Akufo-Addo, 72, ends the era when Ghanaian leaders elected from 1992 to 2012 have all borne John as their first name.
Nana Akufo-Addo clinched the victory after his three attempts at the presidency. He contested the 2008 election against the late President John Evans Atta Mills and in 2012 against President John Dramani, but lost in those elections.
Jubilations
Deafening cheers and shouts of excitement greeted the declaration of Nana Akufo-Addo as the President-elect.
Speaking to journalists, the National Campaign Manager of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu, described the victory as a “sweet victory,” and indicated that the party had worked for it.
He said the results of the EC confirmed the position of the NPP that the party had won the presidential election.
Mr Mac Manu lauded President John Dramani Mahama for conceding defeat which was good for his image and the image of Ghana as a thriving democracy.
The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said although there were some irregularities with the results regarding over voting, the numbers were insignificant to overturn the results.
Therefore, he said, the NDC had accepted the results and would begin to work with the NPP on the transition of power.
The collation centre drama
Even before Mrs Osei, who is the returning officer for the presidential election could finish collating the results, the various political party representatives who were reviewing the collated results jumped out in jubilation.
But it was one of the NPP representatives in the National Collation Centre, Mr John Attafuah, who broke the news, when he said, “The President of the Republic of Ghana, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has done the honourable thing. He has called Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to congratulate him.”
Until that time, there was anxiety and seeming tension in the National Collation Centre and within the EC premises, with a heavy presence of security in the premises of the EC.