Former Ghana president wins elections

ACCRA. — Ghana’s former President John Dramani Mahama has won the country’s presidential election after his main opponent, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, conceded defeat.

“The people of Ghana have spoken, the people have voted for change at this time and we respect it with all humility,” Bawumia said in a news conference yesterday.

The defeat in Saturday’s election ends two terms in power for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President Nana Akufo-Addo, marked by Ghana’s worst economic crisis in years, involving high inflation and a debt default.

Bawumia said he called Mahama, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to congratulate him.

Earlier, NDC spokesman Sammy Gyamfi told reporters the party’s internal review of results showed Mahama won 56.3 percent of the vote against 41.3 percent for Bawumia.

“It is very clear the people of this country have voted for change,” Gyamfi said.

The vice president said Mahama won the presidency “decisively”. —Al Jazeera.