Former Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama was nominated on Sunday as the main opposition party’s candidate for the 2024 presidential election, following the primaries of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Mr. Mahama, 64, won the overwhelming support of party delegates, who nominated him with 98.9 per cent of the vote, compared with 1.1 per cent for the other contender, former mayor of the southern city of Kumasi Kojo Bonsu.
After two four-year terms, President Nana Akufo-Addo is due to leave office in 2024, as provided for in the constitution, at a time when Ghana is facing one of its worst economic crises in decades.
More than 355,000 NDC delegates were expected at 401 polling centers across the country for Saturday’s poll.
Former central bank governor Kwabena Duffuor had withdrawn from the race on Friday night, saying the party was not ready to conduct “a free and fair election.
Mr. Mahama was defeated in the 2016 presidential election by Nana Akufo-Addos of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and failed again in 2020.
Many analysts had little doubt that he would win his party’s primary because of his experience and influence within the NDC.