Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has felicitated John Mahama, who is expected to win the Ghana’s December 7 presidential election.
According to a statement issued by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian president spoke with Mr Mahama on telephone on Sunday to congratulate him on his expected victory.
Mr Mahama’s opponent, Mahamudu Bawumia, had earlier conceded defeat and congratulated the opposition candidate.
However, the Electoral Commission of Ghana has yet to officially declare Mr Mahama the winner, as results collation is still ongoing across the country. Mr Bawumia’s concession speech has, however, helped to ease tensions in the country.
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This is as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have extended their congratulatory messages to John Dramani Mahama on his victory.
It is gathered that members of Mr Mahama’s party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have been celebrating in parts of Accra since Mr Bawumia’s early morning concession speech.
In the statement, Mr Onanuga noted that the Nigerian leader, who also serves as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), discussed the implications of Saturday’s election on stability in the West African region.
“In a telephone call to Mahama, President Tinubu expressed hope that Mahama’s ascension to power for the second time would further enhance stability in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which President Tinubu is the chairman,” the statement noted.
The statement added: “President Tinubu commended the people of Ghana for their commitment to democracy, which was demonstrated through the peaceful and successful conduct of both the presidential and parliamentary elections.
“He applauded Ghanaians for demonstrating once again to the world that democracy is the preferred path to achieving political stability, economic development, social justice, and transparent governance in Africa.”
Many countries in the West African bloc are grappling with political instability and have given support to military interventions. Countries such as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are currently under military rule.
Mr Tinubu’s first baptism of fire as ECOWAS Chairman was the Niger coup. Despite his interventions, efforts to ensure the return of democracy to the country have so far been unsuccessful.
“The Nigerian leader applauded the candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for conceding defeat before the official announcement by Ghana’s Electoral Commission.
“President Tinubu said Bawumia’s stance reinforced Ghana’s democratic ethos,” the statement reads.
The Nigerian president stated that he looks forward to working with Mr Mahama’s incoming administration to strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors and build a brighter future for the West African region.
Mahama served as the President of Ghana from 2012 to 2017. Before that, he was Vice President from 2009 to 2012 following the death of his predecessor, John Evans Fiifi Attah Mills, a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009, and held deputy and ministerial roles between 1998 and 2001.
