Ghana Elections: Key Candidates and What’s at Stake in 2024

Ghana’s 2024 presidential election stands out as the most important test for West Africa’s democratic world. The nation faces its worst economic crisis in decades. These upcoming polls will be Ghana’s ninth democratic election since 1992, which strengthens its role as one of Africa’s stable democracies.

NPP’s Mahamudu Bawumia, NDC’s John Mahama, and independent candidate Alan Kyerematen lead the race. Each candidate offers unique plans for Ghana’s future. The elections come during tough times as Ghana deals with an IMF bailout program, high inflation, and rising youth unemployment. The next four years of Ghana’s economic recovery and its path toward digital transformation depend on this election’s outcome.

Electoral Landscape and Key Candidates

Ghana’s electoral landscape shows a resilient two-party system. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) have each governed for 16 years since multiparty politics resumed in 1992. Presidential candidates for the December 7, 2024 election total 13, though polls suggest a clear two-horse race between the major parties.

NPP vs NDC: The Two-Party Dominance

A single-member-district-plurality electoral system has given the NPP and NDC a clear advantage. Regional support patterns reveal complex ethnic-regional divisions, while electoral trends vary substantially across regions. Some areas show strong one-party preferences, others maintain competitive three-party dynamics. Strict eligibility rules implemented by the Electoral Commission cover age limits and residency requirements for parliamentary candidates.

Bawumia’s Historic Muslim Candidacy

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has made history as the NPP’s first Muslim presidential candidate. This 61-year-old Oxford-educated economist won his party’s nomination with 68% of the votes. Bawumia must defend the government’s economic record while presenting his digital transformation vision as the current Vice President. His nomination breaks new ground as the first major party candidate from outside the dominant Akan-speaking ethnic group.

Mahama’s Comeback Campaign

Former President John Dramani Mahama, aged 66, claimed the NDC nomination with an impressive 99% of the vote. His campaign emphasizes economic recovery and better government efficiency. He promises a streamlined administration with no more than 60 ministers. Mahama brings unique presidential experience to the race, though public discussions still reference his previous tenure’s challenges, including the “dumsor” power crisis. The NDC’s commitment to gender representation continues with his choice of academic Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as running mate.

Economic Crisis and Recovery Plans

Ghana faces its worst economic crisis in a generation, and the country’s path to recovery has become the centerpiece of the 2024 election discussions. The crisis reached its peak in 2022 when the country defaulted on its debt and turned to the IMF for help.

IMF Bailout Impact on Election Promises

The IMF’s GHS 47.25 billion bailout program has yielded positive results. Economic growth jumped to 6.9% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024. Inflation has dropped from its 2022 peak of 54%. The program’s implementation has sparked heated campaign debates. Mahama wants to negotiate new IMF terms. Bawumia points to the steady economic recovery under his administration.

Competing Economic Visions

Both main candidates offer different paths to economic recovery:

• NPP (Bawumia): Plans to make taxes simpler, cut the number of ministers by half, and reduce public spending by 3% of GDP. He believes in private sector growth and digital advancement.
• NDC (Mahama): Advocates a “24-hour economy” plan to boost productivity. His focus lies on government intervention policies and large public infrastructure projects.

Youth Unemployment Solutions

Unemployment stands at 14.7%, and both candidates have made job creation their top priority. Bawumia aims to teach digital skills to one million young people. His goal is to prepare them for global remote work opportunities. Mahama’s strategy focuses on creating agro-industrial zones and starting a complete national apprenticeship program. These proposals matter because unemployment remains the top concern in Afrobarometer surveys.

Digital Transformation and Innovation

Technology has become the life-blood of Ghana’s development strategy and plays a vital role in governance and electoral processes.

Bawumia’s Digital Agenda

Dr. Bawumia’s vision includes making Ghana a tech hub through these key initiatives:

• National Robotics, Engineering, and AI Lab development
• Digital skills training for one million youth
• Creation of innovation hubs and venture capital funding
• Building a “digital superhighway” for smooth nationwide connectivity

The strategy will position Ghana as a leader in Africa’s digital economy. Plans are in place to invest in infrastructure and provide incentives to tech startups.

Technology in Electoral Process

Ghana’s electoral system has made major technological strides with biometric voter registration and verification systems that show clear results. These systems have reduced double voting and impersonation attempts. Recent updates include:

The Electoral Commission now uses mobile-based voter verification and liveness features for the 2024 exhibition. They are also learning about blockchain technology to improve electoral transparency and trust.

Modern Solutions for Traditional Problems

Digital changes go beyond electoral systems and help solve basic challenges in governance and public services. The government’s high-speed eGovernment network now connects 951 public institutions. They laid 3,500 kilometers of fiber optic cables in 2023 to support this network.

The Digital Economy Policy focuses on five areas: entrepreneurship, digital skills, digital government, universal access, and emerging technologies. This complete approach helps streamline government services while protecting data and privacy in the digital age.

Regional Dynamics and Voter Demographics

Regional dynamics and demographic patterns shape Ghana’s electoral landscape. Historical disparities still affect voting behavior in the 2024 elections.

North-South Political Divide

The development gap between Ghana’s north and south remains a key electoral factor. Northern regions face much higher poverty rates at 50.4% compared to 45% in the south. Both major party candidates come from the northern region for the first time in history. NPP aims to keep its stronghold in the Ashanti and Eastern regions. The party also wants to use Bawumia’s northern roots to challenge NDC’s traditional northern base.

Religious and Ethnic Factors

Religious demographics shape electoral outcomes deeply. Christians make up 71.3% and Muslims 19.9% of the population. The 2024 election brings new religious dynamics:

• First Muslim presidential candidate from a major party
• Traditional Christian-Muslim balance in leadership is changing
• Religious leaders play a bigger role in voter mobilization

Ethnic voting patterns stay strong. NPP holds firm support in Akan-speaking regions, while NDC draws strength from Ewe and northern communities. Recent studies show more swing voting, with 29.69% of voters switching parties since 2008.

Youth Vote Impact

Young voters aged 18-35 make up 62% of the voting population. About 700,000 first-time voters have registered for the 2024 elections. These young voters care most about economic opportunities. The 14.7% unemployment rate heavily influences their voting choices. New surveys show 57% of youth aged 18-34 are “very likely” to vote in 2024. This large youth turnout could decide the election’s outcome.

The 2024 presidential election in Ghana marks a crucial turning point for the country’s democratic future. NPP’s Bawumia and NDC’s Mahama’s contest goes beyond a regular election battle. Their race reflects Ghana’s political evolution with Bawumia emerging as the first Muslim major-party candidate amid new regional dynamics.

Both campaigns focus heavily on economic recovery but offer different solutions to national challenges. Bawumia leads with digital transformation and private sector growth as his core message. Mahama promotes government programs and infrastructure projects. Their contrasting approaches to the IMF program and youth unemployment reveal deep differences in economic thinking.

Several key elements will shape the election results. The success of digital promises, regional voting trends, and the youth vote will play decisive roles. Young voters make up 62% of the electorate and face a 14.7% unemployment rate. Their choices will guide Ghana’s direction for the next four years.

This election puts Ghana’s democratic systems to the test. The outcome will affect both economic recovery efforts and Ghana’s role as a democratic leader in West Africa. It will show how strong the country’s electoral process has become and how its political discussions have matured.