2016 — Ghana's 2016 Election

On December 7, 2016, Ghanaians voted in general elections and handed incumbent president John Mahama a historic defeat — the first time a sitting Ghanaian president had lost re-election. Nana Akufo-Addo of the opposition NPP won 53.7 percent to 44.5 percent, succeeding on his third attempt at the presidency.

Mahama conceded gracefully by phone, and the handover stayed peaceful. It was the third transfer of power since the Fourth Republic began, and it cemented Ghana's reputation as West Africa's model democracy. The deeper story is in that concession: an incumbent accepted the voters' verdict, power changed hands without violence, and a democratic habit grew stronger with the testing.