By Maxwell Akalaare Adombila and Christian Akorlie
ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's former President John Dramani Mahama has staged a political comeback by winning the West African nation's presidential election after his rival Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia conceded defeat on Sunday.
The result of Ghana's general election is another blow to a ruling party in a region where voters, hit by economic hardship, high inflation and local currency depreciation, have caused upsets as they seek changes in leadership.
Mahama, 66, who served as Ghana's president from 2012 to 2016, framed Bawumia as representing a continuation of the policies that led to Ghana's worst economic crisis in a generation.
The world's second biggest cocoa grower, and major gold-producing nation, reached a deal with the International Monetary Fund last year for a $3 billion bailout after it defaulted on most of its international debt.
"I have, this morning, received a congratulatory call from my brother Dr. Bawumia, following my emphatic victory in Saturday’s election. Thank you, Ghana," Mahama said in a post on X social media.
Addressing a press conference from his residence, Bawumia said he called Mahama to congratulate him, adding that Mahama's National Democratic Congress (NDC) also won the parliamentary election.
"The data from our own internal collation of the election results indicate that former President John Dramani Mahama has won the presidential election decisively," Bawumia said, adding that NDC also won the parliamentary election.
Bawumia said he conceded before the official result to ease tensions.
Before his concession, scuffles had been reported in several local constituency centres where results were still arriving from polling stations.
"I am making this concession speech before the official announcement by the Electoral Commission to avoid further tension and preserve the peace of our country," Bawumia said.
"It is important that the world investor community continues to believe in the peaceful and democratic character of Ghana," he added.
Hundreds of NDC supporters took to the streets of the capital Accra on Sunday to celebrate after Bawumia conceded defeat.
Early results had shown Mahama and the NDC party with a commanding lead. Joy News reported that Mahama was leading with over 53% of the vote to Bawumia's 45.16% after provisional results from 68 out of a total 276 constituencies were counted.
In a news conference on Sunday before Bawumia conceded, Sammy Gyamfi, national spokesperson for the NDC, said provisional internally collated results by party agents from 38,896 out of the total 40,976 polling stations showed Mahama was leading with around 56%.
He said the party appeared on track to win around 185 out of 276 seats in Parliament.