Accra — The tension soaked Ghanaian Capital of Accra erupted in wild jubilation last night as Presidential Candidate of the ruling National Democratic Congress, NDC, President John Dramani Mahama was declared the winner of the 2012 presidential election.

According to the Electoral Commission, EC Chairman, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, he polled 5,574,761 or 50.70 per cent of the valid votes to win the hotly and tightly contested election.

His closest challenger, Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party, NPP polled 5,248,898 votes (47.74 per cent).

The other presidential flagbearers scored as follows: Papa Kwesi Nduom, PPP, 64.362 (0.59 per cent); Dr Henry Lartey, GCPP, 38,223 (0.35 per cent); Ayariga Hassan, PNC, 24,617 (0.22 per cent); Michael Abu Sakara Foster, CPP, 20,323 (0.18 per cent); Jacob Osei Yeboah, independent candidate, 15,201 (0.14 per cent) and Akwasi Addai Odike, UFP, 8,877 (0.08 per cent).

Leaders of the NDC, who thronged the packed EC conference hall where the results were declared at 9.54 p.m (10.54 p.m Nigerian time) said from next year, Ghana would witness massive infrastructural development.

Leaders of the NPP shunned the event.

Jubilant supporters of the NDC poured into the streets in wild celebration as the results were announced. They had early built platforms and stands across the city where bands played interrupted music till this morning.

A total of 11,246,982 voters out of the registered 14,158,890 voters (79.43 per cent) took part in the elections. While valid votes were 10,995,262, a significant 251,720 voters could not cast their votes correctly.