Millions of voters across Ghana have been heading out on Monday morning to vote for a president and 274 legislators in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.
Voting queues formed as early as 5am in some of the 38,622 polling centres spread across the country.
Ghanaians are voting amid soaring cases of the deadly coronavirus, prompting strict adherence to social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols by voters.
Polling officers have insisted on voters respecting Covid-19 public safety regulations including the wearing of face masks, hand-washing and observing physical distancing to prevent the spread of the virus which has registered over 51, 000 cases.
But for a minor stampede as security personnel struggled to control an overzealous crowd of voters attempting to jump queues, polling in the capital Accra which began at 7am has been underway without any untoward incident.
According to electoral commission officials polling across Ghana end at 5pm local time.
Some 17 million people have been registered by the electoral commission to elect a president for the next four years from among 12 candidates including incumbent Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and his arch rival John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In the run up to the election, Akufo-Addo and Mahama had signed a pact committing the presidential candidates to a peaceful poll, which analysts say would be a tightly contested race.
“I have given my word that we shall accept the verdict of the people of Ghana…above all, the peace, unity, and safety of Ghana will be our primary consideration” said President Akufo-Addo.
His main challenger Mahama said: “Elections are about counting heads not cutting heads. And, so, we will work toward peace”.
Four women are also vying for the highest office in the land.
Ghana is widely regarded as a beacon of democracy in Africa.
WN/as/APA