The poll, conducted by Global InfoAnalytics, shows Mahama leading with 52%, followed closely by ruling party candidate Muhamudu Bawumia at 41.3%. With a margin of error at 1.9%, this is certainly a tight contest.
Ghana's main opposition leader, John Dramani Mahama, is poised to win the December 7 presidential election, according to a recent opinion poll.
The poll, conducted by Global InfoAnalytics, shows Mahama leading with 52%, followed closely by ruling party candidate Muhamudu Bawumia at 41.3%. With a margin of error at 1.9%, this is certainly a tight contest.
Mahama, a former president from 2012-2017, and current Vice President Bawumia are the two front-runners vying to replace President Nana Akufo-Addo, who's stepping down after two terms. Interestingly, both candidates hail from northern Ghana, a traditional stronghold of Mahama's National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.
The poll highlights voters' top concerns: the economy, jobs, education, and infrastructure. During his presidency, Mahama focused heavily on infrastructure development but faced criticism for power shortages and economic instability. His government was also marred by corruption allegations, though Mahama himself was never directly implicated.
Bawumia, an economist and former central banker, is running for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), which grappled with Ghana's worst economic crisis in a generation.
Both candidates have presented plans to boost the economy and improve livelihoods, Reuters reports.
Ghana, the world's second largest cocoa producer, defaulted on most of its $30 billion external debt in 2022 after years of overstretched borrowing.
Akufo-Addo's government secured a 3-year, $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund in 2023 and is now on the final lap of a painful process required for the money to be disbursed.
The Economist Intelligence Unit predicted an NDC win in October due to the NPP's economic record. Fitch Solutions published a similar forecast that month.
Both Mahama and Bawumia are from northern Ghana, a historic NDC stronghold where the NPP has been making inroads.
Political analyst, Alidu Seidu, of the University of Ghana said the election would probably be a very close contest between the two.
Results were difficult to predict and a run-off vote was likely, he said.
No party has ever won more than two consecutive terms in Ghana's democratic history.
Will Mahama's infrastructure investments and experience propel him to victory, or will Bawumia's economic expertise win over voters? The outcome is far from certain, with some analysts predicting a close contest and potential runoff vote.
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