Upcoming presidential elections in Ghana

On 7 December Ghanaians will go to the polls to vote in the country's presidential elections in which incumbent leader John Mahama will seek to retain his seat.

Although there are eight election candidates, the election is seen as a two horse race between Mahama and his main contender Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mahama is the leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a centre-left party whose policies favour the disadvantaged; and Akufo-Addo leads the NPP, a centre-right party more aligned with business.

Mahama, a communications expert from the northern Bole region, became the nation's president in July following the death of incumbent John Atta Mills. Akufo-Addo is an economist and British-trained lawyer from the Accra area.

Mahama has pledged that his administration would invest in a multitude of areas including education, health and water projects, while Akufo-Addo is promoting his policy of free senior high school education and is campaigning on an anti-corruption platform.

The other six candidates are Michael Abu Sakara Foster of the Convention People’s Party (CPP); Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP); Hasan Ayariga of the Peoples National Convention's (PNC); Akwasi Addai Odike of the United Front Party (UFP); Henry Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party’s (GCPP); and independent Jacob Osei Yeboah.  

Ghana’s Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has introduced new measures such as biometric voting to curb irregularities and ensure a transparent and peaceful vote.

If there is no outright winner, a run-off election will be held on 28 December.