Ghana election: Nana Akufo-Addo, fifth time contender for Ghana’s presidency is leading in the early results so far declared in the presidential and parliamentary elections held Wednesday.

According to results published by Peace FM Online, Akufo Addo has won 54.83 percent of the votes counted so far, while incumbent, President John Dramani Mahama trails with 43.59 per cent.

The results in 86 of the 275 constituencies gave Akufo-Addo 1,590,785 votes ahead of Mahama with 1,264, 829 votes. The votes scored by five other candidates are insignificant to count in the reckoning.

Akufo-Addo has so far done well in the results declared in some constituencies in the regions of Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, central, western and Eastern, while Mahama leads narrowly in Greater Accra. He is also leading in Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta regions.

Counting continues and the electoral commission has said the full result will not be known until Friday.

Akufo-Addo’s party, the NPP has also won 49 out of the 86 constituencies declared so far, while Mahama’s ruling party, NDC has 37.

Akufo-Addo ran for the presidency in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 and was serially beaten in closely fought elections in those years.

Meanwhile, main opposition party on Thursday said it had a strong lead in elections and called on President John Mahama to concede defeat, while comments dismissed as “treasonable” by the incumbent’s campaign team.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) said its candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, had won 52 per cent of the vote according to its own tally of Wednesday’s presidential poll, against 44.8 per cent for Mahama.

The Electoral Commission said it had not certified any results in the closely fought race to lead the West African nation that has seen a series of peaceful transfers of power.

However, figures shown by television and radio stations showed the opposition making gains in both races.

“These are results that were declared at the polling stations. I am calling on the president to concede defeat,’’ NPP campaign chief Peter Mac Manu said.

A senior official for the ruling party, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, countered that Mahama was “comfortably ahead” and asked his supporters to remain calm.

“The results are still trickling in and the call and declaration by the NPP is irresponsible and treasonable because it can throw this country into chaos,’’ he added.

Ghana is one of Africa’s most stable democracies and voters have rejected the government of the day twice since 2000.

Until 2014, the country also had one of Africa’s most dynamic economies, though growth has slowed in part due to a fall in the price of its commodity exports.