Wind of change for Ghana

As soon as the chair of Ghana's Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, had announced the final result a few parties began.

People danced outside the EC office with party flags, sounded car horns, pulled wheelies on mopeds and one man charged up and down the road on horseback.

It was third time lucky for Professor John Atta Mills who had stood against John Kufuor in 2000 and 2004.

After eight years of the New Patriotic Party in power, a wind of change has blown across Ghana just strong enough to push the opposition candidate over the line.

From around nine million valid ballots cast the governing party's candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, lost by just 40,000 votes.

'Bad blood'

Outside the National Democratic Congress office in Accra a carnival was underway.

Some of the people were covered in white powder - a sign of victory in Ghana - and they danced to some of Professor Mills' campaign songs and the popular hit by DJ Blakk Rasta "Barack Obama" sent the crowd into a frenzy.


Credits: BBC World News