Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has stated that the just-concluded presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana showed that the country has learnt some lessons from Nigeria.
He highlighted its innovations and political stability as key factors in the smooth conduct of the elections.
On Saturday, December 7, Ghanaians exercised their electoral responsibility by electing a new president and members of the parliament.
Mahamudu Bawumia, Ghanaâs vice president and ruling party candidate, conceded defeat on Sunday, December 8, to opposition candidate and former President John Dramani Mahama.
Bawumia admitted Mahama won the country’s presidential election.
John Mahama, candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has been elected as Ghana’s president.
Reacting to the development, INEC chairman hailed the outcome of the polls, describing the process as âcommendable,â and one that provides stability for Ghana and its citizens.
As reported by The Cable, Yakubu noted that the first lesson was the political parties’ stability.
The INEC chairman noted that unlike many other countries, Ghanaians tend to remain loyal to their political parties even during general election.
The second lesson, according to Yakubu, was Ghana’s adoption of Nigeria’s approach in managing constituency election results.
Particularly noted that Ghana made use of electoral technology and took it to the next level, they made it work in their system.
Previously, all results in Ghana, both presidential and parliamentary, were sent to the Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Accra. However, inspired by Nigeria’s practice, Ghana has now implemented a system where results for parliamentary elections are announced locally by returning officers in each constituency, with only the presidential results sent to Accra.
The INEC chairman stated thus:
Read more about Ghana election here:
TimesNow.com.ng earlier reported that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulated Mahama on his victory in Ghana’s December 7 election.
Tinubu praised Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his early concession, which he described as a testament to Ghanaâs democratic strength and unity.
The Nigerian President expressed his commitment to deepening relations with Ghana, underscoring shared cultural and regional goals while thanking outgoing President Akufo-Addo for his leadership.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
