INEC Chair Commends Ghana’s Election, Highlights Nigeria’s Influence on Results Management System

INEC Chair praises Ghana’s electoral process, revealing how Nigeria’s results management system inspired their approach. A testament to cross-border collaboration in African democracy.

Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), praised Ghana’s electoral system for its innovative practices and political stability that ensured the smooth execution of its 2024 presidential election.

John Mahama, the former President of Ghana and candidate for the National Democratic Congress, won the election held on Saturday, December 7, 2024. His primary opponent, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, acknowledged his loss and extended congratulations to Mahama in a statement.

“The people of Ghana have expressed their desire for change through their votes at this time, and we humbly respect their decision,” Bawumia stated.

According to reports from AFP, the Electoral Commission of Ghana is anticipated to announce the official results by Tuesday.

Professor Yakubu, who monitored the election, emphasized the sustained political stability within Ghana’s democratic framework. He credited this stability to the unwavering nature of political parties and their supporters’ loyalty, which he noted is essential for promoting consistency in governance.

“In Ghana, it’s uncommon for individuals to switch party allegiance with each general election. This consistency is significant as it fosters stability both politically and among the supporters. Many people remain loyal to their political parties over long periods, regardless of whether the party holds power or sits in opposition,” Yakubu explained in a video released on Sunday.

Yakubu also mentioned the persistence of important political leaders in Ghana, like President Nana Akufo-Addo, who ran for office several times before ultimately achieving victory.

Nigeria-Inspired Innovations

Yakubu praised Ghana for recently adopting a decentralized system to manage election results, noting that the approach was inspired by practices in Nigeria.

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In the past, results from both parliamentary and presidential elections in Ghana were sent to the Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Accra for announcement.

Since then, the country has moved to a system where officers at the constituency level announce parliamentary results locally, whereas only presidential results are sent to the capital.

“The second point for me is the lesson Ghana learned from Nigeria regarding the management of constituency election results. Before the most recent election in Ghana, all parliamentary and presidential results were sent to the Electoral Commission’s headquarters in Accra.”

While Ghana is not a federal system, it adopted the practice from Nigeria of having returning officers announce parliamentary election results in each constituency across the nation. Only the presidential election results are sent to Accra.

“In Nigeria, we set an example which they have followed twice now. This is why the announcement of the presidential election results was significantly quicker than in previous years,” he explained.

He conveyed his satisfaction with how the election was conducted, stating, “We are thankful that the election proceeded smoothly. Both the process and outcome have been commendable so far, and we will continue to support our colleagues in Ghana’s Electoral Commission.”

The election concluded the two-term governance of the New Patriotic Party under President Akufo-Addo, whose administration encountered difficulties such as economic crises, high inflation, and a debt default.