Ghanaian opposition ‘leads with over 500,000 votes’ but results delayed

The Electoral  Commission of Ghana has been accused of delaying results as the opposition leads the sitting president with over 500,000 votes.

According to Joy News, a leading news platform in the west African country, Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is leading the poll with 4,213,710 votes to his name.

President John Mahama and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) have only been able to 3,710,702 votes from 206 constituencies provisionally declared so far, trailing with over 500,000 votes.

With 69 constituencies to go, the electoral commission halted the announcement of results, leading to a convergence of young Ghanaians at the Bawku Central Constituency, to protest delay. But they were dispersed by police shots, fired into the air.

“We in the NPP are quietly confident that we have won a famous and historic victory,” Akufo-Addo said, as his party picked up majority of the seats in parliament.

Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, a senior official of the ruling party, countered that Mahama was “comfortably ahead” and asked his supporters to remain calm.

“The results are still trickling in and the call and declaration by the NPP is irresponsible and treasonable because it can throw this country into chaos,” he said.

Joy News already projects Akufo-Addo as president-elect.