The Second Act

Ghanaian Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat in Saturday’s presidential election and congratulated opposition candidate, former President John Mahama on his victory after voters punished the governing New Patriotic Party for its handling of the country’s worst economic crisis in a generation, the BBC reported.

Preliminary results from the opposition National Democratic Congress indicated Mahama won by a landslide, but it was Tuesday’s final results that confirmed his victory.

The election commission announced that Mahama won 56.6 percent of the vote, while Bawumia secured a little more than 41 percent. Voter turnout was nearly 61 percent.

While largely peaceful, the election saw isolated instances of violence, including two fatal shootings and the looting of warehouses in northern towns. Frustration also grew over the weekend after the commission warned that official results were delayed, citing disruptions at electoral centers caused by supporters of both parties.

Mahama, who served as Ghana’s president from 2012 to 2017, will now return to power after two failed bids in 2016 and 2020.

His victory comes at a time of deep frustration over economic challenges in the West African nation.

Ghana, Africa’s top gold producer and the world’s second-biggest cacao exporter, is grappling with soaring costs of living, a default, crisis, and currency devaluation that resulted in a $3 billion bailout by the International Monetary Fund, Agence France-Presse noted.

“The people have voted for change,” Bawumia said, acknowledging the widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s performance.

Saturday’s vote continues Ghana’s tradition of peaceful democratic transitions, with no political party winning more than two consecutive terms since the country’s return to multiparty politics in 1992.

The new president is set to be sworn in on Jan. 7.

Mahama’s campaign promised to address the economic crisis by transforming Ghana into a “24-hour economy” and creating jobs for its young.

Even so, his first tenure was marked by economic challenges, including widespread power outages, a weakening currency, and rising public debt. His administration also faced criticism over corruption allegations and struggles to stabilize the economy, despite infrastructure development efforts.