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| Constitution |
 Africaportal  Politicsportal |
General elections will be held in Ghana on 7 December 2024 to elect the president and members of Parliament. [1] [2] Incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo is term-limited and thus ineligible to run again.
The President of Ghana is elected using the two-round system, whilst the 275 members of Parliament are elected in single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. [3] [4]
Eligible voters must be Ghanaian citizens who are at least 18 years old, although those declared insane are disenfranchised. Parliamentary candidates must be Ghanaian citizens at least 21 years old, and either be resident in their constituency or have lived there for at least five of the ten years prior to the election. [5]
The ruling New Patriotic Party opened its nomination period on 26 May 2023, and closed nominations on 24 June 2023. It selected its candidate at its National Congress on 4 November 2023. [6] In the event more than five candidates filed to run in the primaries, the party would have called call a Special Congress on 26 August. Incumbent President Akufo-Addo said that members of his cabinet who sought to run for president should step down from their posts to focus on their campaigns, prompting a number of resignations. [7] [8]
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
To reduce the number of candidates, the NPP held a Special Super Delegates Congress on 26 August 2023, which would select the top five candidates who would then go on to contest the final primary in November. Vice President Bawumia placed first, with 68% of the vote. To the surprise of many observers, "maverick" MP Kennedy Agyapong, running a campaign largely critical of the Akufo-Addo administration, placed second, edging out NPP veteran Alan Kyeremanten, who first ran for President in 2008. Owusu Afriyie Akoto placed fourth, while Francis Addai-Nimoh and Boakye Agyarko tied for fifth place, necessitating a run-off, which Addai-Nimoh won, rounding out the five final candidates for the primary. [13] However, Kyeremanten announced that he would withdraw from the primary (later leaving the NPP entirely and launching his own third-party campaign), leaving four candidates. [14]
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Mahamudu Bawumia | 629 | 68.37 |
| Kennedy Agyapong | 132 | 14.35 |
| Alan Kyeremanten | 95 | 10.33 |
| Owusu Afriyie Akoto | 36 | 3.91 |
| Francis Addai-Nimoh | 9 | 0.98 |
| Boakye Agyarko | 9 | 0.98 |
| Kwabena Agyapong | 6 | 0.65 |
| Kwadwo Poku | 4 | 0.43 |
| Kofi Konadu Apraku | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | 920 | 100.00 |
The NPP held its primary on 4 November 2023. Bawumia again won by a wide margin, confirming him as the NPP's nominee for the 2024 elections, although Agyapong placed in an ever stronger second relative to his performance in the Super Delegates' Congress. [15]
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Mahamudu Bawumia | 118,210 | 61.43 |
| Kennedy Agyapong | 71,991 | 37.41 |
| Owusu Afriyie Akoto | 1,459 | 0.76 |
| Francis Addai-Nimoh | 781 | 0.41 |
| Total | 192,441 | 100.00 |
The opposition National Democratic Congress opened its nomination period on 22 February 2023 and closed nominations on 22 March 2023. Candidates were required to post a GH₵500,000 filing fee and a GH₵30,000 nomination fee (women and disabled candidates were eligible for a 50% discount, but none ultimately applied). The NDC would select its candidate on 13 May 2023. [16]
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
The NDC primary was held on 13 May 2023. Kobeah dropped out on 29 March and Duffuor dropped out the day before the election, claiming irregularities in the organization of the polls, leaving two candidates. [18] [19] Former President Mahama won nomination in an overwhelming landslide, winning nearly 99% of the vote, setting the stage for the fourth consecutive election in which he would be the NDC's flag-bearer. [20] Bonsu called Mahama to concede and offer his support. [21]
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| John Mahama | 297,603 | 98.94 |
| Kojo Bonsu | 3,181 | 1.06 |
| Total | 300,784 | 100.00 |
In June 2024, the NDC accused the electoral commission of colluding with the ruling NPP to rig the elections via an illegal voter transfer scheme, which the NDC claimed was orchestrated by Yohane Amarh Ashitey, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate and the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive. [22]
On 25 September 2023, Alan John Kyeremanten formed the Movement For Change party to aspire for the 2024 Ghanaian general election as an independent presidential candidate for the presidential race after resigning from New Patriotic Party (NPP). Therefore he will be a presidential candidate for the 2024 Ghanaian general election. [23] [24]
On 7 January 2024, real estate developer Nana Kwame Bediako announced that he would run as the candidate for the New Force movement. This followed weeks of speculation during which the New Force teased its fielding of a "masked" candidate who was widely expected to be Bediako. The announcement, which was due to take place at Black Star Square, was postponed after the presidential administration pulled the permit for the rally, citing a "an unforeseen state event". [25]
| Polling firm | Fieldwork Date | Mahama | Bawumia | Kyerematen | Bediako | Others | Margin of error | Sample size | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global InfoAnalytics [26] | March 22-30 2024 | 54.3% | 34.9% | 7.5% | 2.3% | 1% | ±1.66% | 6,128 | 14.9% |
Politics of Ghana takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president of Ghana is both head of state and head of government, and of a two party system. The seat of government is at Golden Jubilee House. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and Parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is a centre-right and liberal-conservative political party in Ghana. Since the democratisation of Ghana in 1992, it has been one of the two dominant parties in Ghanaian politics, with its leading rival being the centre-left National Democratic Congress (NDC). John Kufuor of the NPP was President of Ghana from 2001 to 2009. At the elections held on 7 December 2004, the party won 129 out of 230 seats. The NPP candidate was Kufuor, who was re-elected as president with 52.75% of the vote. The New Patriotic Party symbol is the African elephant and the New Patriotic Party colours are red, white, and blue.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. Following the formation of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), which ruled Ghana following the military coup d'état on 31 December 1981, there was pressure from the international community to restore democracy. The NDC was formed as the ruling party ahead of elections in 1992, in which Rawlings was elected president, and in 1996 Rawlings was re-elected as the NDC candidate. Rawlings' second term ended in 2001.
John Dramani Mahama is a Ghanaian politician who served as President of Ghana from 24 July 2012 to 7 January 2017. He previously served as Vice President of Ghana from January 2009 to July 2012, and took office as president on 24 July 2012 following the death of his predecessor, John Evans Fiifi Attah Mills.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is a Ghanaian politician who has served as the president of Ghana since 2017. He previously served as Attorney General from 2001 to 2003 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2003 to 2007 under the Kufuor-led administration.
Mahamudu Bawumia is a Ghanaian and former central banker who serves as the 5th Vice President of Ghana in the 4th Ghanaian Republic. He assumed office on 7th January 2017 as Vice President of Ghana.
General elections were held in Ghana on Friday 7 December 2012 to elect a president and members of Parliament in 275 electoral constituencies. Owing to the breakdown of some biometric verification machines, some voters could not vote, and voting was extended to Saturday 8 December 2012. A run-off was scheduled for 28 December 2012 if no presidential candidate received an absolute majority of 50% plus one vote. Competing for presidency were incumbent president John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), his main challenger Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and six other candidates.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu is a Ghanaian urban planner and politician. He was the majority leader in the Ghanaian Parliament until he stepped down on 21 February 2024 and is the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in Ghana. He is the longest serving lawmaker in Ghana.
Kwabena Agyei Agyapong is Ghanaian civil engineer and politician.
Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is a Ghanaian politician and businessman who represents Assin Central in parliament as a member of the New Patriotic Party. He was first elected as a member of parliament in 2000 to the seat of Assin North. He retained his seat in the year 2004 and 2008 parliamentary elections. In 2012, he was elected in the new seat of Assin Central and was re-elected in 2016. He also retained his seat in the 2020 general elections. He is currently the Chairman of the Parliament's Defense and Interior Committee. As an aspirant in 2023 for the presidential candidacy of the his lost to Mahamudu Bawumia.
Owusu Afriyie Akoto is a Ghanaian agricultural economist and politician. He is a member of the New Patriotic Party and was a Member of Parliament for the Kwadaso Constituency from 2009 to 2017. He was a cabinet minister in the Nana Akufo-Addo administration and served as Minister of Food and Agriculture of Ghana. He resigned on 10 January 2023 to focus on his presidential ambition. He holds MSc and PHD Degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Cambridge, England.
Gifty Twum-Ampofo is a Ghanaian politician and a Member of Parliament of the New Patriotic Party. She is currently the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North constituency in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Ampofo is the deputy minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection in Ghana.
General elections were held in Ghana on 7 December 2020. Incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was re-elected in the first round after securing a majority of the votes. Former President John Dramani Mahama announced that he would contest the results. At the Supreme Court, a petition challenging the result was filed on 30 December, and unanimously dismissed on 4 March 2021 for lack of merit.
Francis Addai-Nimoh is a Ghanaian politician and a member of the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. He represented the Mampong Constituency in the Ashanti Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party.
The presidency of John Mahama began on 24 July 2012 and ended on 7 January 2017. John became the 4th President of the Ghanaian Fourth Republic after he succeeded John Atta Mills who died in office on 24 July 2012. Prior to that, he served as Vice-President of Ghana from January 2009 to July 2012.
Mohammed Adamu Ramadan is a Ghanaian politician. He is a member of the National Democratic Congress. He is the member of parliament for the Adenta Constituency. He is the son of politician Ahmed Ramadan and the elder brother of Samira Bawumia, the Second Lady of Ghana.
Umar Farouk Aliu Mahama is a Ghanaian politician who is a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). He is the member of parliament for the Yendi Constituency after winning in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Kojo Bonsu is a Ghanaian businessman, sports administrator, and politician, who served as the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly from 2013 to 2016. He is a member of the National Democratic Congress.
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