President-elect of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has called on supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to exercise restraint following the party’s victory in the 2024 general elections. His plea comes in response to reports of looting, vandalism, and destruction of state property by alleged party supporters in various parts of the country.
So far, 89 suspects have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service in connection with various offences, with 40 of them directly linked to acts of destruction.
In his victory speech on Monday, 9 December, shortly after the Electoral Commission (EC) officially announced the election results, Mahama urged his supporters to celebrate responsibly to prevent unnecessary harm or damage.
He emphasised:
Not to vent your frustration in criminal enterprise. We must channel our anger and frustration into positive enterprise of resetting and rebuilding our nation. Let us be brief in our celebration, for the weight of office will be an onerous one.
He underscored the importance of meeting the expectations of Ghanaians who voted for his return to leadership.
In his address, Mahama also criticised the tenure of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, stating:
These eight years have witnessed some of the darkest periods of our governance. The crisis our beloved country has been through these last several years has left a scar on our national psyche, which may take some time to erase.
Mahama further assured all Ghanaians of the NDC’s commitment to working in their best interests.
The Electoral Commission, led by its Chairperson Jean Mensa, declared Mahama the winner of the 2024 election with a decisive 56.55% of the votes. Based on results from 267 out of the 276 constituencies across the 16 regions, Mahama secured 6,328,397 votes, surpassing Dr Bawumia’s 4,657,304 votes (41.61%).
The president-elect John Mahama is set to be sworn into office on 7 January 2025.