Presidential Runoff December 28

Accra, Dec. 10, GNA - Presidential Election runoff between Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Former Vice President John Evans Atta Mills of National Democratic Congress (NDC) would be held on Sunday December 28, 2008. Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), announced this at a news conference held in Accra on Wednesday to declare the 2008 Presidential Election results. He said the runoff had become necessary because none of the candidates obtained more than 50 per cent of the valid votes cast as required by the provisions of the 1992 Constitution of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

Nana Akufo-Addo obtained 4,159,439 votes, representing 49.13 per cent of the votes while Former Vice President John Evans Atta Mills garnered 4,056,634 votes, representing 47.92 per cent of the votes cast in 229 out of the 230 constituencies. The results of the Akwatia Constituency in the Eastern Region are outstanding.

Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of Convention People's Party (CPP) had 113,494 votes representing 1.34 per cent; Dr Edward Mahama of People's National Convention (PNC) got 73,494 votes representing 0.87 per cent; while Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi of Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) had 27,889 votes representing 0.33 per cent.

The others were: Kwesi Amoafo-Yeboah, Independent, received 19,342 votes, representing 0.23 per cent; Thomas Nuako Ward-Brew of Democratic People's Party (DPP) had 8,653 votes representing 0.10 per cent with Kwabena Adjei of Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD) getting 6,889 votes representing 0.08 per cent.

Dr Afari-Gyan said the total valid vote was 8,465,834 while the total vote cast was 8,671,272 out of which 205,438 representing 2.4 per cent were rejected.

He said 12,472,758 people registered for the polls, adding that the voter turnout was 69.52.