General elections were held in Ghana on 7 December 2024 to elect the president and all 276 members of Parliament. The incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo, having completed his constitutional term limits, was ineligible for re-election.
Former President John Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, won a majority of the votes, securing victory without the need for a runoff. Mahamudu Bawumia, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, conceded defeat the morning after the election. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Mahama’s running mate, made history as the first woman elected Vice President of Ghana.
In the parliamentary elections, the NDC won a landslide victory, winning 184 out of 276 seats, while the NPP secured 88 seats, with independent candidates winning four seats. The number of women elected to parliament was 40, the same as in the previous election (2020), which means that the percentage of women members of parliament in Ghana remains at 15%, a level lower than the average in the sub-region West Africa (18%), the continental African average (27%) and the global world average (also 27%).
Electoral system The President of Ghana is elected using the two-round system while members of Parliament are elected in single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post voting. Both are elected to four-year terms.
Eligible voters must be Ghanaian citizens at least 18 years old, except for those declared insane who are disenfranchised. Parliamentary candidates must be Ghanaian citizens who are at least 21 years old and either residents of a constituency or have lived there for at least five of the ten years prior to the election.Ghana Parliament | Electoral system. Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
Primary elections New Patriotic Party The ruling New Patriotic Party opened its nomination period on 26 May 2023, and closed nominations on 24 June 2023. Candidates were selected at the National Congress held on 4 November 2023. More than five candidates filed to run in the primaries when the party called for a Special Congress on 26 August. Incumbent President Akufo-Addo admonished that members of his cabinet who sought to run for president should step down from their posts to focus on their campaigns, prompting a number of resignations.
Presidential candidates Nominee Mahamudu Bawumia, incumbent Vice President of Ghana Eliminated in primary Francis Addai-Nimoh, former Member of Parliament for Mampong Owusu Afriyie Akoto, immediate former Minister for Food and Agriculture Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kwabena Agyapong, former Presidential Press Secretary and General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party Boakye Agyarko, immediate former Minister for Energy and Petroleum Joe Ghartey, former Attorney General and Minister for Railways Development Kofi Konadu Apraku, former Minister for Regional Cooperation Alan Kyeremanten, immediate former Minister for Trade and Industry Kwadwo Poku, businessman
Results To reduce the number of candidates, the NPP held a Special Super Delegates Congress on 26 August 2023, which would select the top five candidates who would then go on to contest in the final primaries in November. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia placed first, with 68% of the votes. To the surprise of many observers, "maverick" MP Kennedy Agyapong, running a campaign largely critical of the Akufo-Addo administration, placed second, edging out NPP veteran Alan John Kyeremanten, who first ran for President in 2008. Owusu Afriyie Akoto placed fourth, while Francis Addai-Nimoh and Boakye Agyarko tied for fifth place, necessitating a run-off, which Addai-Nimoh won, rounding out the five final candidates for the primaries. However, Kyeremanten announced that he would withdraw from the primaries (later leaving the NPP entirely and launching his own third-party campaign), leaving four candidates.
The NPP held its primaries on 4 November 2023. Bawumia again won by a wide margin, confirming him as the NPP's nominee for the 2024 elections, although Kennedy Agyapong's performance was also impressive as he secured a stronger second-place finish compared to his showing at the Super Delegates' Congress.
Parliamentary candidates
National Democratic Congress The opposition National Democratic Congress opened its nomination period on 22 February 2023 and closed nominations on 22 March 2023. Candidates were required to pay a GH₵500,000 filing fee and a GH₵30,000 nomination fee, women and persons living with disabilities were eligible for a 50% discount. The NDC selected its candidate on 13 May 2023.
Presidential candidates Nominee John Mahama, former President of Ghana (2012–2017) Eliminated in primary Kojo Bonsu, former mayor of Kumasi Kwabena Duffuor, former governor of the Bank of Ghana and Minister for Finance and Economic Planning Ernest Kobeah, businessman
Results The NDC primary was held on 13 May 2023. Kobeah dropped out on 29 March and Duffuor dropped out the day before the election, claiming irregularities in the organization of the polls, leaving two candidates. Former President Mahama won nomination in an overwhelming landslide, winning nearly 99% of the vote, setting the stage for the fourth consecutive election in which he would be the NDC's flag-bearer. Bonsu called Mahama to concede and offer his support.
In June 2024, the NDC accused the electoral commission of colluding with the ruling NPP to rig the elections via an illegal voter transfer scheme, which the NDC claimed was orchestrated by Yohane Amarh Ashitey, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate and the Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive.
Parliamentary candidates
Other parties Movement For Change On 25 September 2023, Alan John Kyeremanten formed the Movement For Change party to aspire for the 2024 Ghanaian general election as an independent presidential candidate for the presidential race after resigning from New Patriotic Party (NPP). Therefore he will be a presidential candidate for the 2024 Ghanaian general election.
The New Force On 7 January 2024, real estate developer Nana Kwame Bediako announced that he would run as the candidate for the New Force movement. This followed weeks of speculation during which the New Force teased its fielding of a "masked" candidate, who was widely expected to be Cheddar. The announcement, which was due to take place at Black Star Square, was postponed after the presidential administration pulled the permit for the rally, citing "an unforeseen state event".
Ghana Freedom Party Akua Donkor's Ghana Freedom Party, having been disqualified in the 2012 Ghanaian general election and 2016 Ghanaian general election and contesting in the 2020 Ghanaian general election submitted their form on 12 September to officially contest in the 2024 election. However, on 28 September, it was announced that the party's founder and flag bearer had passed on, leaving a controversial void as to the way forward with the Electoral Commission of Ghana halting ballot printing.
On 4 November, the party's leadership announced the nomination of Kwabena Agyeman Appiah Kubi popularly known as Roman Fada as its new presidential candidate. The party will not contest in the election due to the disqualification of Philip Appiah Kubi who was nominated as replacement for Akua Donkor after her death.
Opinion polls Polling firmFieldwork DateMahamaBawumiaKyerematenLordBediakoOthersMargin of errorSample sizeLeadEconomist Intelligence Unit15 May 2023WinOffice of the President17 September 202446.3%46.3%±1.55%25,000Global InfoAnalytics20 - 28 September 202451.1%30.8%4.1%6.5%6.2%1.3%±2.49%8,20613.8%SBM IntelligenceSeptember 202411 regions5 regions±2.45%1,700AfroopinionSeptember - November 202448.5%39.4%12.108%500Fitch Solutions18 November 2024WinSmart Sarpong21 November 202445.8%49.1%
Filing of nomination papers Thirty-nine candidates from 12 political parties and 27 independent candidates indicated their intention to contest the 2024 presidential election. They collected nomination forms from the Electoral Commission. The filing of nomination papers started on 9 September 2024. At the close of nominations on 13 September 2024, 24 of the candidates had successfully filed their nomination papers with the Commission. Twelve candidates submitted forms as representatives of political parties and the other 12 were independent candidates. Two candidates submitted their forms after the 13 September deadline. The Electoral Commission received the forms but is yet to announce the fate of the two candidates.
Initial list of Presidential candidatesNumberPartyPresidential candidateDate / Form submittedNotes1 All People's Congress Hassan Ayariga 9 September 2024 Contested 2020 election2 Convention People's Party Nana Frimpomaa Sarpong Kumankumah 12 September 20243 Great Consolidated Popular Party Daniel Augustus Lartey Submitted4 Ghana Freedom Party Akua Donkor 12 September 2024 Contested 2020 election5 Ghana Union Movement Christian Kwabena Andrews 9 September 2024 Contested 2020 election6 Liberal Party of Ghana Percival Kofi Akpaloo 9 September 2024 Contested 2020 election7 National Democratic Congress John Mahama 9 September 2024 President of Ghana (2012 - 2016) Contested 2020 election8 National Democratic Party Mohammed Frimpong Submitted9 New Patriotic Party Mahamudu Bawumia 9 September 2024 Vice President of Ghana (2016 - 2024) Vice Presidential candidate in 202010 People's National Convention Bernard Mornah Submitted11 Progressive Alliance for Ghana John Enyonam Kwakwu Kpikpi Submitted12 Progressive People's Party Kofi Asamoah Siaw Forms were submitted late Vice Presidential candidate in 202013 Independent Muhammad Abdullah Not submitted14 Desmond Abrefa Submitted15 Nana Stephens Adjepong Submitted16 Seth Ntim Agyarko Not submitted17 T. K. Amenya Not submitted18 Wilberforce Andrews Not submitted19 Sam Sarpong Ankrah Submitted20 Samuel Apea-Danquah 9 September 2024 21 Kenneth Kwame Asamoah Not submitted22 Tom Asiseh Not submitted23 Stephen Atubiga Not submitted24 Agnes Ayisha Forgot to fill forms25 Nana Kwame Bediako 9 September 202426 Nii Amu Darko Submitted27 Nana Ohene Aggrey Bentsil Djan Not submitted28 Tawiah N. Hemans Not submitted29 Kofi Koranteng Submitted30 Alan John Kyerematen 11 September 2024 31 Janet Asana Nabla 12 September 2024 32 Isaac Wiafe Ofori Not submitted33 James Kwasi Oppong Submitted34 Paul Perkoh Submitted35 Robert Roy Reindorf Not submitted36 Richard Sumah Not submitted37 George Twum-Barima-Adu 9 September 2024 38 Samuel Worlanyo Not submitted39 Jacob Osei Yeboah Not submitted – Disqualified by the Electoral Commission of Ghana
Final list of presidential candidates On 20 September 2024, the Electoral Commission released the final list of candidates who would be on the ballot for the presidential election. Thirteen of the 24 applicants made the final list while 11 were disqualified. The disqualifications were based on the candidates not having fulfilled all the requirements or discrepancies noticed on their forms. Nine of the 12 candidates of political parties and four of the 12 independent candidates made the final list. Candidates of the People's National Convention (PNC), Progressive Alliance for Ghana (PAG) and the Progressive People's Party (PPP) were not listed. The order of candidates on the ballot paper was determined by a ballot conducted by the Electoral Commission on 20 September 2024.