GHANA’S President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has predicted that his government would face tough times in ‘resetting’ the country.
Mahama, the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a former president, addressed a large crowd of supporters at his Cantonment office in Accra Monday night after the Electoral Commission declared him the winner of the presidential poll conducted on Saturday, December 7.
He said the government of outgoing President Nana Akufo-Ado had plunged the nation into an abyss and the country had witnessed some of its darkest days under the president’s watch.
However, he promised to reverse the trend and put the nation on the right track.
“These eight years (of Akufo-Addo) have witnessed some of the darkest periods of our governance. The crises our beloved country has been through these last several years have left scars on our national psyche which may take some time to erase.
“This mandate also serves as a constant reminder of what things await us if we fail to meet the aspirations of our people and govern with arrogance.
“There’s much to do to salvage our country and reset it. We will have to start with resetting the relationship between citizens and elected officials. We must never forget that the people of Ghana have chosen us to represent their wishes and their best interests. It is the reason we will be initiating important government reforms and sometimes initiate severe measures in the next four years to reset our nation and bring it back on track as the black star of Africa.
“The journey is not going to be easy because the outgoing government has plunged our dear nation into an abyss. “However, we are determined to work together to build the governance we want, and I’m certain; we shall win the battle,” Mahama said.
He thanked all Ghanaians for their continued belief in the nation’s democracy despite the challenges facing the country.
He challenged all elected members of parliament, regardless of their parties, to see the nation as what they jointly own, adding that they should seek a Ghana that works for all citizens and not a privileged few.
According to him, the mandate given to him represents many things for all political actors and those who seek to lead the nation.
He said it showed that Ghanaians had zero tolerance for bad governance.
“We shall work together to restore the shattered confidence in our politics and governance system. This election and its outcome represents an opportunity for a new beginning and we can begin to write a new chapter of our collective story. We need to consciously set the tone for a new direction in which we will be travelling,” he stated.
He called for unity and determination by all citizens to move the nation forward.
While pledging to be a leader for all Ghanaians and move the nation forward, he said, “Our basic needs must be met: affordable housing, healthcare, food and clean water, safe work and fair wages.”
He described his running mate and vice-president-elect, a woman, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, a professor, as “an inspiration.”
“Your decency, your humility and your sense of responsibility added so much to this campaign. The eyes of every young girl and woman, not only in Ghana but in nations across this continent and the world are going to be on you from today. You have not only opened the door, but you’re going to keep the door open for many other women,” he said.
The ICIR reports that Opoku-Agyemang will be the first female vice president in Ghana.
On Sunday, December 8, The ICIR reported that the incumbent vice president and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat to Mahama while results were being collated.
In an address at his residence in the Cantonment area of Accra, Bawumia said the results his party collated indicated that Mahama won the poll.
“I have just called His Excellency John Dramani Mahama to congratulate him as President-elect of the Republic of Ghana. I said during the signing of the peace pact that I was sure of two things. Ghana will win and peace will reign. The people of Ghana have spoken.”
Mahama and Bawumia had faced each other twice in the presidential elections with Mahama losing in both contests.
Mahama lost as an incumbent seeking re-election in 2016 and in 2020 when he threw his hat in the ring again to face Bawumia’s principal, President Nana Akufo-Ado whose tenure ends in January 2025. Bawumia was Akufo-Ado’s running mate in the two polls.
Bawumia is the first-ever Muslim to seek Ghana’s presidency on a major political party’s platform.
The ICIR reported that the Election Commission announced that Mahama polled 6,328,297 votes, representing 56.55 per cent of total votes cast to defeat Bawumia who garnered 4,657,304 votes, representing 41.61 per cent of total votes cast to come second in an election contested by 12 candidates.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ mfatunmole@icirnigeria.org