Ghana capped a year of opposition victories in elections around the world by returning John Mahama—a former president running as the opposition candidate—to the presidency in its Dec. 7 elections. Mahama, a four-time presidential nominee of the National Democratic Congress, or NDC, had been defeated by outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo during his first bid for re-election eight years ago. He subsequently lost a rematch against Akufo-Addo in 2020, before leading the opposition to a decisive victory against Akufo-Addo’s vice-president, Mahamadu Bawumia, earlier this month. After eight years in power, Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party, NPP, now faces a reckoning over its worst-ever electoral performance and must come to grips with its new status as the leading opposition party.
Mahama’s victory has evoked comparisons to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who will similarly be returning to power after a stint out of office. It also adds to the anti-incumbent wave in what has been dubbed the “year of elections,” particularly in Africa. Opposition parties formed new governments in Senegal, Mauritius and Botswana, while long-ruling parties in Namibia and South Africa saw their governing majorities reduced, forcing them to form coalitions with erstwhile opposition parties.
Ghana’s citizens punished the ruling NPP for high inflation, environmental degradation caused by rampant illegal gold-mining—known as Galamsey—and repeated corruption indictments that left the impression of a political elite detached from the concerns of regular citizens. Ghana’s presidential elections have historically been closer, often needing to go to a run-off round, but the lack of turnout among NPP supporters left Bawumia in the position of conceding early on the day after the election.