Ghana Vice President Expects Peaceful Poll as He Files Candidacy
(Bloomberg) -- Ghana Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia said he expects elections scheduled for December to be peaceful, as he filed paperwork to stand as the next leader of the West African nation.
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“Historically Ghana is in a very enviable position as far as the conduct of elections are concerned,” Bawumia, 60, said Monday while registering his candidacy. “We will inherit a country which is peaceful and that this process reinforces the democratic traditions of the country.”
The representative of the ruling New Patriotic Party will face off against former president and main opposition leader John Dramani Mahama on Dec. 7. They will compete to replace President Nana Akufo-Addo, 80, is stepping down after his second and last four-year term.
Mahama, of the National Democratic Congress, will file his own candidacy later Monday, according to a statement on his Instagram page.
Ghanaians have enjoyed peaceful transfers of power since 1992, making it an exception in West Africa, which has seen six successful military takeovers since 2020. Constitutional changes by leaders to extend their stay in power is also common, triggering a 2021 coup in Guinea and violence leading up to Senegal’s presidential elections earlier this year.
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