Anxious Ghanaians waiting for election results

Ghana is at a standstill waiting for the official results of the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections to be declared by the Electoral Commission (EC).

Results for the Wednesday Election is still trickling in from across the 275 Constituencies, although a survey conducted by the Ghana News Agency indicated that the results were too close to call.

People across the country kept vigil at most collation centres to witness the process of verifying the results declared at the various polling stations within the Constituency.

According to Ghana’s electoral laws, Parliamentary Elections are declared by the Constituency Returning Officer at the Constituency Collation Centre whilst the Presidential Election is declared by the Chairperson of the EC who also doubles as the Returning Officer.

The polls on Wednesday were to choose a President and 275 Parliamentarians which an estimated 15,712,499 registered voters expected to cast their ballots in 28,992 polling stations across the country.

Seven Presidential candidates representing six Political Parties and an Independent candidate contested the Presidential Elections: Convention Peoples Party (CPP); National Democratic Party (NDP); National Democratic Congress (NDC); Progressive Peoples Party (PPP); New Patriotic Party (NPP) and People's National Convention (PNC).

President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC, who is seeking a second term, was challenged by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the NPP, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet of the CPP, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the PPP; Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings of the NDP, Dr Edward Mahama of the PNC and Mr Jacob Osei Yeboah the Independent Candidate.