Opposition Leader Leads Polls in Ghana’s Presidential Race

According to new polls released Monday, Ghana’s main opposition leader and former president, John Dramani Mahama, is leading the race to win the upcoming presidential election in December. Mahama, representing the National Democratic Congress, is running against Vice-President Muhamudu Bawumia of the ruling New Patriotic Party.

A total of 13 candidates are vying to succeed outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo, who will step down in January after completing the maximum two terms. Facing Ghana’s most severe economic crisis in decades, both Mahama and Bawumia are centering their campaigns on pledges to revive the economy and enhance citizens’ well-being.

In 2022, Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer, defaulted on most of its $30 billion external debt due to years of high borrowing. Notably, no political party in Ghana’s democratic history has won more than two consecutive terms.