ACCRA, (Reuters) – Ghana’s electoral authorities said yesterday incumbent leader John Dramani Mahama won a new term as president in the West African state in an election the opposition claimed was marred by tampering.
Mahama, who replaced former president John Atta Mills after his death in July, took 50.7 percent of the ballots cast – just enough to avoid a run-off with his chief rival Nana Akufo-Addo.
“Based on the results, I declare President John Dramani Mahama president elect,” Ghana Electoral Commission President Kwadwo Afari-Gyan told a news conference in the capital Accra.
In a brief speech at his residence following the results, an exhausted-looking Mahama said his win was a “victory for all Ghanaians”, and urged the leaders of rival parties to “respect the voice of the people”.
Supporters of Mahama drove through the streets of the sprawling seaside capital playing loud music, shouting, and honking their horns after the results.
The election is seen as a test of whether Ghana can maintain more than 30 years of stability and progress in a region better known for coups, civil wars and corruption.
