Today in History: John Evans Atta Mills won Ghana’s presidential elections on January 2, 2009

National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate John Evans Atta Mills won Ghana’s presidential election, on January 2, 2009, by a narrow margin.

Atta Mills took 50.23 percent of the vote, against 49.77 percent for his rival Nana Akufo-Addo of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Since neither of the eight (8) candidates for the Presidency received a majority of the votes in the December 7th, 2008 elections, the Electoral Commission (EC) announced a runoff on the 28th of December.

The runoff election was so close that it could not be decided until the last of the 230 constituencies, the Tain constituency, voted after all other constituencies had been counted and certified.

Voters in the Tain Constituency were not able to vote in the December run-off following some misunderstanding over polling. The Tain Constituency were then scheduled to Vote on the 2nd of January, 2009

The Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Afari Djan however announced the results collated for the 229 out of 230 constituencies as follows: Professor Atta Mills 50.13 %, Nana Akuffo Addo 49.87%

On the basis of the official results Collated, after the run-off election in the Tain constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region, The EC, Dr. Afari Djan declared Professor John Evans Atta Mills the President-elect of Ghana.

John Evans Atta mills succeeded President John Agyekum Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party, who was due to step down on January 7 after serving the maximum two elected four-year terms allowed by the Constitution.

It is to date the closest election in Ghanaian history.