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Ghana Presidential election: Race between Mahama and Akufo-Addo expected to be close
Nana Akufo-Addo (l) and President John Mahama. PHOTO/File
With Ghana’s presidential election set for December 7, the candidates faced off in their final debate this week.
Corruption and how best to manage the country’s oil sector topped the agenda.
Ghana’s four presidential hopefuls argued over the best way forward for this cocoa, gold and oil producing nation. But analysts say the vote will come down to the two main candidates: current President John Mahama from the National Democratic Congress, and former foreign minister and main opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo, of the New Patriotic Party.
The moderator asked the candidates to explain how they would fight corruption, a problem, though small, but threatens to pervade certain levels of government.
Akufo-Addo said he would strengthen anti-corruption institutions and serve as an example.
“I see the beginning from the example that the leader will give. If you are committed to the fight against corruption you yourself of course must not be corrupt,” he said. “You yourself should be somebody who can take on the fight because you’re not corrupt, have never been and will not be. That is the position in which I stand: not being corrupt, never will be and have not been.”
The 68-year-old opposition candidate also promised to build the country’s industrial sector and make high school education free by using funds from the country’s new oil revenue.
