Ghana's 2024 Presidential Race Heats Up Amid Allegations of Electoral Irregularities

Ghana's Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, ex-president John Dramani Mahama, and 11 other candidates are approved for the 2024 presidential poll. Allegations of electoral irregularities have surfaced, stirring protests by Mahama's NDC. Trust in Ghana's electoral commission is historically low, complicating the upcoming election dynamics.

Ghana's Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and ex-president John Dramani Mahama are among 13 candidates approved for the 2024 presidential poll, the electoral commission announced on Friday.

The voters of this West African nation, known for its gold and cocoa production, will head to the polls on Dec. 7 to elect the successor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, who will step down in January after completing his constitutionally mandated eight years in office. Mahama, representing the principal opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party, and Bawumia, an economist and former central banker chosen by Akufo-Addo's ruling New Patriotic Party, are key contenders.

Ghana's democratic history shows no party has achieved more than two consecutive terms in office. The electoral commission has also approved the candidacies of Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, a former trade and industry minister running as an independent, Nana Kwame Bediako, a newcomer businessman, and Nana Akosua Frimpomaa, one of two women in the race.

Recent protests by Mahama's NDC challenged alleged irregularities, claiming the electoral commission had illegally moved voters to different stations. The commission stated it would review the NDC's petition and respond shortly. These allegations further tarnish the electoral authority's reputation at a time when public trust is at its lowest, as reflected in a July survey by Afrobarometer.

(With inputs from agencies.)