Ghana’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld President Nana Akufo-Addo’s victory in the disputed December 7 elections.
The Court dismissed the petition filed by opposition leader, former President John Mahama, who claimed the polls were marred by massive fraud.
The verdict brings to an end months of political wrangling and uncertainty in the West African nation.
The Court ruled that Mahama failed to prove that the alleged irregularities altered the poll results.
The National Electoral Commission declared Akufo-addo reelected with 51.59% of the vote, with Mahama getting 47.37%.
The long-awaited verdict confirms Mahama’s victory as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate during last December’s presidential election.
At least five people were killed in violence during the polls, the third time both men fought for the presidency. Mahama was victorious in 2012, but lost in 2016 and 2020.
Akufo-Addo, 76, is the current Chair of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, a regional economic bloc facing myriad challenges including bad governance, insecurity, corruption and mismanagement, compounded by the coronavirus pandemic.
Reacting to the ruling, Mahama issued a statement on his Twitter account saying, “the Supreme Court has spoken and validated our December 2012 victory.” He also added that this was “Ghana’s victory”.
