Bawumia’s early defeat acceptance shows statesmanship – President-elect Mahama

President-elect John Dramani Mahama has praised Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for conceding defeat ahead of the Electoral Commission’s (EC) official declaration of the 2024 presidential election results.

In a speech delivered on Monday, 9 December 2024, shortly after the EC formally announced his victory, Mahama commended Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate, for demonstrating statesmanship by acknowledging the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s victory before the final results were made public.

The EC, led by its Chairperson Jean Mensa, declared Mahama the winner of the 2024 election with a decisive 56.55% of the votes. Based on results from 277 constituencies across the 16 regions, Mahama secured 6,328,397 votes, surpassing Bawumia’s 4,657,304 votes (41.61%). Independent candidate Nana Kwame Bediako came third with 84,478 votes (0.75%), and Alan Kojo Kyerematen followed with 31,202 votes (0.28%).

Mensa described the 2024 elections as “credible, fair, transparent, and peaceful”, crediting the success to reforms undertaken by the EC in recent years. She also thanked the Ghana Police Service and other stakeholders for ensuring a smooth electoral process.

Before the EC’s announcement, Bawumia had already acknowledged his loss in a press conference on Saturday, 8 December, where he stated that the NPP’s internal tally confirmed an NDC victory in both the presidential and parliamentary polls. Calling the results a “decisive victory”, Bawumia’s early concession was widely viewed as a move to uphold peace and national unity.

John Mahama’s victory marks his return to the presidency after two previous unsuccessful attempts. Mahama initially became president on 25 July 2012, following the passing of President John Evans Atta Mills. He went on to secure a full term in the 2012 elections but lost re-election in 2016 to Nana Akufo-Addo and again in 2020.

With this latest win, Mahama is set to be sworn in as President of Ghana on 7 January 2024, while the NDC is poised to claim a majority in the 9th Parliament, which convenes on 6 January.

Reflecting on his journey, Mahama’s return is not only a personal triumph but also a moment of historic significance for the NDC and its supporters.

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