Former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama was elected Sunday as the main opposition party’s candidate for the 2024 presidential election, following the primaries of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
John Mahama, 64, won the overwhelming support of party delegates, who appointed him with 98.9% of the vote, against 1.1% for the other candidate in the running, the former mayor of the city of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu.
Mr Mahama was expected to face two candidates in the NDC. But former central bank governor Kwabena Duffuor pulled out of the race on Friday night, saying the party was not ready to conduct “a free and fair election”.
After two four-year terms, President Nana Akufo-Addo is due to step down in 2024, as constitutionally mandated, as Ghana faces one of the worst economic crises it has seen in decades.
John Dramani Mahama, 64, led the West African country for more than 4 years, but he is still entitled to an additional presidential term, especially since from 2008 to 2012 he was vice president under John Atta Mills who died five months before the next election. Mahama will therefore complete this term before being elected for the first time in December 2012.
However, he was defeated in the 2016 presidential election by Nana Akufo-Addo, of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and failed again in 2020.
His victory in his party’s primary was in no doubt for many analysts, due to his experience and influence within the NDC.
As for the ruling party, NPP, its primary will be held in November 2023. Meanwhile the presidential election is scheduled for December 7, 2024.