Ghana votes today

Ghana goes to the polls today, Wednesday December 7, 2016 to elect a new president and 275 lawmakers.

It is the seventh time the young oil-producing West African country is going into an election under the Fourth Republic of the existing 1992 Constitution.

Seven presidential candidates including incumbent John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are contesting for the seat of government – the Flagstaff House.

The others are Convention People’s Party’s Ivor Greenstreet, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, former First Lady and wife of ex-President JJ Rawlings, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Progressive People’s Party, Dr. Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and independent candidate Jacob Osei Yeboah.

A little over 15 million eligible voters are expected to vote out of a population of 27 million in a poll which is scheduled to kick off 7am nationwide and ends 5pm. 

As of 3am queues were already forming at the 29,000 polling stations nationwide with others using bricks, plastic chairs, and gallons as stand ins to cast their ballots early on Wednesday.

The Electoral Commission has served notice it is expecting high turnout.