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Ghana Presidential election: Race between Mahama and Akufo-Addo expected to be close
Ghana began producing oil in 2010 and how best to manage oil revenue remains a hot campaign issue. Ghana is experiencing tremendous growth, the economy is expected to expand by 11 percent in 2012.
At the debate, President Mahama said the government has taken steps to ensure oil profits reach Ghanaians, but that foreign oil companies now need to be encouraged to buy available products from Ghana and employ locals.
“It doesn’t pay to have such a God-blessed resource and just have foreigners come and take it away without any benefit to your people,” he said. “So we are going to pass the local content bill to justify and reserve some aspects of the oil industry to Ghanaians, and to encourage the foreign companies that are involved in oil exploration and production to work for them.
Mahama, who is 53, took office in July less than 24 hours after the death of former president John Atta Mills. Mr. Mahama is a historian, communications expert, and writer. He is campaigning on the development agenda called “A Better Ghana,” started by his predecessor.
Akufo-Addo, who is favored by young and urbanized voters, lost the 2008 election to Mills by just 40,000 votes, less than one percent. Opinion polls indicate this year’s race will also be tight.
The latest poll from Research International estimated Akufo-Addo would win with 52 percent. Yet other polls, like one from the Economist Intelligence Unit, predict Mahama will win.
Analysts expect a peaceful election. Kwesi Jonah, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Democratic Governance, says there is a tradition of conceding defeat in Ghana, and he doesn’t expect this election to be any different:
