ACCRA, Ghana – Ghana’s electoral commission on Friday released a list of 13 approved candidates for the upcoming presidential election, with the race largely expected to be a contest between Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Dramani Mahama.
The election, scheduled for December 7, will decide the successor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, who is stepping down in January after serving the maximum of two terms. Mahama, 65, of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), is seeking to reclaim the presidency, while Bawumia, 60, an economist and former central banker, is running on behalf of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Among other notable candidates are Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, a former trade and industry minister who left the NPP to run as an independent, and Nana Kwame Bediako, a businessman making his first bid for the presidency. The list also includes Nana Akosua Frimpomaa, one of two female contenders in the field.
Analysts suggest the large slate will not significantly impact the main race. “While it opens up the space, realistically, the competition is between Bawumia, Mahama, Kyerematen, and Bediako,” said Mussa Dankwah of Global InfoAnalytics. “The remaining candidates are unlikely to secure more than one percent of the vote.”
Notably missing from the list are some northern candidates, including Bernard Mornah of an opposition party and independent Janet Nablah. According to Bright Simons of IMANI Africa, this development means the NPP and NDC will be fiercely competing for influence in northern Ghana.
The election season has already seen rising tensions, with the NDC staging protests this week over alleged unauthorized voter transfers by the electoral commission. The commission, while acknowledging the NDC’s petition, said it will respond after reviewing the claims, adding to ongoing concerns over electoral integrity.
Recent surveys, including one from Afrobarometer, indicate that public trust in Ghana’s electoral body has plummeted to its lowest level since monitoring began in 1999, reflecting widespread skepticism ahead of the vote.
