Ghana govt denies congratulating George Weah, Liberians await initial results

The government of Ghana has denied news that its president has congratulated George Weah for winning Liberia’s presidential runoff vote held on December 26.

Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Ghana’s information minister described the reports making rounds in local media and on social media as ‘fake news,’ stressing that the government was waiting for the elections body to declare official results.

“We wish to state categorically that the President has made no such call, and we urge Ghanaians to disregard this false news. Just like the rest of the world, we will await the results of the run-off as declared by Liberia’s Electoral Commission,” the statement added.

Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC) says it will release provisional results from the polls later today, December 28 – two clear days after the close of polls.

Its statement of Wednesday December 27 said “it will on Thursday December 28 begin the announcement of provisional results of the 2017 presidential runoff.

“The runoff was held on Tuesday December 26 between VP Joseph Boakai of the UP and Senator George Weah of the CDC. The NEC says tally of votes started today, Tuesday across the country and it is continuing.”

Most news portals across the world reported of a Weah victory in the vote. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) tweeted a congratulatory message to the former footballer which it later deleted.

The president of Namibia, Hage Geingob, and governor of Ekiti State in Nigeria, Peter Ayodele Fayose, have all congratulated Weah despite the unofficial victory calls.

Weah congrats: Namibia president, Nigerian governor caught 'offside' https://t.co/8uQERq7KFy

— africanews (@africanews) December 27, 2017

If confirmed, the 51-year-old will take over from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the outgoing president. She beat him in 2006 and secured re-election in 2011 when Weah contested as a vice-presidential candidate on the ticket of one Winston Turnbull.