Former Vice-President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia, has explained why he conceded defeat to John Mahama in the 2024 presidential election, citing the interest of national peace as the driving force behind his decision.
Bawumia, who represented the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the election, polled 738,493 votes, accounting for 42.64 percent of the total votes cast. His opponent, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), won with 976,644 votes, which represented 56.39 percent of the vote tally. In the final results, Mahama secured 56.55 percent, while Bawumia garnered 41.6 percent.
At a national conference focused on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, Bawumia shared that his decision to concede came after he sensed rising tension and unease among Ghanaians. Mahama’s campaign had emphasized restoring the economic prosperity that Ghana had enjoyed during his first term as president.
“I was confident in Ghana’s electoral process, as the Electoral Commission had demonstrated fairness and transparency,” Bawumia remarked. Although he had hoped to win, he acknowledged that by 3am on the Sunday following the election, it was clear from the results at the party’s collation centers that Mahama had decisively won the election.
Despite facing challenges, including Ghana’s economic difficulties during his tenure, Bawumia praised the fairness of the election process and the transparency of the Electoral Commission. His gesture of conceding defeat in a peaceful and orderly manner earned him praise from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and various civil society organizations for his commitment to upholding democratic values.