Ghana elections for run-off December 28
The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced December 28, 2008 as the day Ghanaians would go back to the polls to decide on who rules the country for another four years.
The Chairman of the EC, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan made the announcement Wednesday afternoon December 10, 2008, at a parked press conference at the conference room of the EC.
The election conducted on December 7, failed to produce a clear winner. A winner can only be declared if the candidate polls more than 50% of valid votes cast.
The two front runners in the elections were Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Prof. John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Nana Akufo-Addo polled 4, 159, 439 representing 49.13% of total valid votes cast, and Prof. Atta Mills polled 4,056.634 representing 47.92% of total valid votes cast.
The run-off therefore will be between the two.
Dr. Edward Mahama of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) got 73, 494 votes, representing 0.87% of valid votes cast.
Mr. Emmanuel Antwi of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) polled 27, 889 which is 0.33% of valid votes cast.
The candidate of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), Mr. T. N. Ward-Brew got 8,653 representing 0.10% of valid votes cast.
Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) polled 113, 494 representing 1.34% of total valid votes cast.
Mr. Kwabena Agyei of the Reformed Democratic Party (RDP) got 6, 889, which is 0.08% of total valid votes cast and the only independent presidential candidate in the race, Mr. Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah, polled 19, 342 representing 0.23% of total valid votes cast.
Total valid votes cast is 8, 465, 834, and there were 205,438 rejected votes making a total of 8,671,272 votes cast.
The total number of registered voters is 12, 472, 758 and the turn out was 69.52%.
The total of rejected votes makes 2.4% of votes cast.
The results as they stand are not surprising, because as the results began pouring in from all over the country, it was obvious that the country was set for a second round of voters.
So far, Ghanaians have stood tall in preserving the country’s integrity and pedigree as the nation in Africa that the world can look up to as a symbol of true democracy.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi