Ghana's ruling party clings to narrow edge in parliamentary elections

Ghana's ruling party held a one-seat lead in parliament with one race still to be decided, the election commission said on Thursday, a day after declaring President Nana Akufo-Addo had won another term. Akufo-Addo's New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost dozens of seats but retained 137, while that of his predecessor and old rival John Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), secured 136 in Monday's election.

Ghana's ruling party held a one-seat lead in parliament with one race still to be decided, the election commission said on Thursday, a day after declaring President Nana Akufo-Addo had won another term.

Akufo-Addo's New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost dozens of seats but retained 137, while that of his predecessor and old rival John Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), secured 136 in Monday's election. One seat was won by an independent. The loss of his clear majority may make it harder for Akufo-Addo to implement his agenda, including a promised $17 billion programme to boost growth in one of West Africa's largest economies.

The coronavirus pandemic hit the price of oil and cocoa exports this year, resulting in the first quarterly contraction in nearly 40 years for Ghana, one of Africa's largest gold producers.