2024 Ghanaian general election
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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.
Electoral system
[edit]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]
Primary elections
[edit]New Patriotic Party
[edit]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]
Presidential candidates
[edit]Nominee
- Mahamudu Bawumia, incumbent Vice-President of Ghana[9][10]
Eliminated in primary
- Francis Addai-Nimoh, former Member of Parliament for Mampong
- Owusu Afriyie Akoto, immediate former Minister for Food and Agriculture[11]
- Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central[9]
- Kwabena Agyapong, former Presidential Press Secretary and General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party[9]
- Boakye Agyarko, immediate former Minister for Energy and Petroleum[9]
- Joe Ghartey, former Attorney General[9]
- Kofi Konadu Apraku, former Minister for Regional Cooperation
- Alan Kyeremanten, immediate former Minister for Trade and Industry[9]
- Kwadwo Poku, businessman[12]
Results
[edit]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 |
Parliamentary candidates
[edit]National Democratic Congress
[edit]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]
Presidential candidates
[edit]Nominee
- John Mahama, former President of Ghana (2012–2017)[17]
Eliminated in primary
- Kojo Bonsu, former mayor of Kumasi[17]
- Kwabena Duffuor, former governor of the Bank of Ghana and Minister for Finance and Economic Planning[17]
- Ernest Kobeah, businessman[17]
Results
[edit]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]
Parliamentary candidates
[edit]Other parties
[edit]Movement For Change
[edit]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]
New Force
[edit]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]
Opinion polls
[edit]| 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% |
Filing of nomination papers
[edit]12 political parties and 27 independent candidates indicated their intention to contest the 2024 presidential election.[27][28] The filing of nomination papers started on 9 September 2024.[29]
| Party | Presidential candidate | Date |
|---|---|---|
| All People's Congress | Hassan Ayariga | 9 September 2024 |
| Convention People's Party | ||
| Ghana Freedom Party | ||
| Ghana Union Movement | Christian Kwabena Andrews | 9 September 2024 |
| Great Consolidated Popular Party | ||
| Liberal Party of Ghana | Percival Kofi Akpaloo | 9 September 2024 |
| National Democratic Congress | John Mahama | 9 September 2024 |
| National Democratic Party | ||
| New Patriotic Party | Mahamudu Bawumia | 9 September 2024 |
| People's National Convention | ||
| Progressive Alliance for Ghana | ||
| Progressive People's Party | ||
| Independent | Muhammad Abdullah | |
| Desmond Abrefa | ||
| Seth Ntim Agyarko | ||
| T. K. Amenya | ||
| Wilberforce Andrews | ||
| Sam Ankrah | ||
| Samuel Apea-Danquah | 9 September 2024 | |
| Kenneth Kwame Asamoah | ||
| Tom Asiseh | ||
| Stephen Atubiga | ||
| Agnes Ayisha | ||
| Nana Kwame Bediako | 9 September 2024 | |
| Nii Amu Darko | ||
| Nana Ohene Aggrey Bentsil Djan | ||
| Tawiah N. Hemans | ||
| Kofi Koranteng | ||
| Alan John Kyerematen | 11 September 2024[30] | |
| Janet Asana Nabla | ||
| Isaac Wiafe Ofori | ||
| James Kwasi Oppong | ||
| Paul Perkoh | ||
| Robert Roy Reindorf | ||
| Nana Stephens | ||
| Richard Sumah | ||
| George Twum-Barima | 9 September 2024 | |
| Samuel Worlanyo | ||
| Jacob Osei Yeboah |
References
[edit]- ^ "EC sticks with December 7 voting day for 2024 election - MyJoyOnline". www.myjoyonline.com. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "EC releases electoral calendar, voter registration set for May 7, 2024". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ "Ghana: Vote Counting using Majoritatrian and First-Past-the-Post —". ACE Project. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
- ^ "Africa Watch: 2020 Is Election Season Across Africa". Modern Ghana. 13 February 2020.
- ^ Electoral system IPU
- ^ "2024 polls: Know all the key dates for upcoming NPP primaries". GhanaWeb. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "Resign if you want to contest NPP presidential primaries – Group". Citi Newsroom. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ Nyabor, Jonas (10 January 2023). "Ghana: Succession race kicks off after Trade Minister quits". The Africa Report. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "Who leads NPP for 2024 presidential election?". Citi Newsroom. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ Dontoh, Ekow (4 May 2023). "Ghana's Bawumia Will Run for President Next Year, Graphic Says". Bloomberg. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "Farmers will vote for me to become NPP's 2024 flagbearer – Afriyie Akoto". Citi Newsroom. 10 May 2023.
- ^ "Kwadwo Poku: Unsuccessful NPP flagbearer aspirant content with three votes". Daily Graphic. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "NPP Super Delegates Conference: Regional break down of the results". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ Frimpong, Enoch Darfah (24 September 2023). "Alan Kyerematen quits NPP again, decides to contest 2024 as independent candidate". Daily Graphic. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "Bawumia wins NPP presidential primary with 61.43% of total valid votes cast". Daily Graphic. 4 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "NDC opens nominations for presidential and parliamentary elections today". Ghana News Agency. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Know the four NDC faces seeking to kick out NPP in 2024". GhanaWeb. 26 February 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "Ernest Kobeah pulls out of NDC flagbearership race". Citinewsroom. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "Duffuor on why he pulled out of NDC presidential primary [VIDEO]". Daily Graphic. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "John Mahama elected NDC flagbearer with 98.8% of valid votes - EC". GhanaWeb. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ "NDC Primaries: 'I've Called And Congratulated Mahama for The Landslide Victory' - Kojo Bonsu Concedes Defeat". Peace FM Online. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ^ Mensah, Kent (6 June 2024). "Opposition NDC accuses Ghana's electoral commission of collusion with NPP to rig elections". The Africa Report. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Managing director of Celesio UK resigns with immediate effect". The Pharmaceutical Journal. 2017. doi:10.1211/pj.2017.20203863. ISSN 2053-6186.
- ^ Devine, Thomas W. (27 May 2013), "I Shall Run as an Independent Candidate for President: Launching Gideon's Army", Henry Wallace's 1948 Presidential Campaign and the Future of Postwar Liberalism, University of North Carolina Press, pp. 35–70, doi:10.5149/northcarolina/9781469602035.003.0002, ISBN 978-1-4696-0203-5, retrieved 26 September 2023
- ^ Ankrah, Nana Oye (9 January 2024). "Ghana's mystery presidential candidate pulls off his mask". Semafor. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Salia, Albert K.; Duodu, Samuel (9 April 2024). "2024 Presidential election...InfoAnalytics poll has Mahama ahead of Dr Bawumi". Graphic News. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ "Here are the 39 aspirants who have picked up presidential nomination forms - Official". ghanaweb. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ Michael Quaye; Samuel Duodu (9 September 2024). "As 39 pick presidential forms on the road to Election 2024, is it an issue of misrule or competition?". Graphic Online. Graphic Communications Group Ltd. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ Joseph Odotei (9 September 2024). "2024 election: Exclusive photos as 8 presidential aspirants file nomination forms - Adomonline.com". Adom Online. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Alan Kyerematen to file his nomination on September 11". ghanaweb. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
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