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Accra /Â AFP
Ghanaians faced an anxious wait on Thursday for the results of a nail-biting presidential election tainted by sporadic outbreaks of violence, with no clear favourite emerging from the early provisional results.
The high-stakes race between incumbent John Mahama and rival Nana Akufo-Addo is seen as a litmus test of stability for one of Africa’s most secure democracies.
Results will trickle in over the day, with the final winner expected to
be announced at the earliest late Thursday.
Initial provisional results released by Ghana’s election agency showed neither candidate gaining the upper hand.
Early Thursday, the Electoral Commission website was down but it tweeted the provisional results of six of the 275 constituencies, with Mahama scoring 62,930 votes and Akufo-Addo 62,220.
Election fever gripped Ghana’s capital Accra, with people out in the streets late into the night as counting of the thumbprint votes got under way, many standing behind red police lines and closely observing the blue-shirted election officials.
Mohammed Kamil, a trainee teacher, said he wanted the new government to “create jobs for the youth… that will bring us peace and harmony.”
Sporadic reports of violence and technical problems marred the vote although the election was seen to have gone well overall.
Voting was delayed in the Jaman North constituency until Thursday “due to security concerns,” the Electoral Commission tweeted.
The commission also reported that supporters of Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) had beaten one of its officials.