Ghanaian presidential election, 1960

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Presidential elections were held for the first time in Ghana on 27 April 1960. The elections were held alongside a referendum on creating an executive presidency. The winner of the election would become the country's first President if the new republican constitution was passed (which it did).

Candidates

There were only two candidates in the election:

Kwame Nkrumah, incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the Convention People's Party
J. B. Danquah, United Party leader and one of the Big Six

Results

Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Kwame Nkrumah	Convention People's Party	1,016,076	89.07
J. B. Danquah	United Party	124,623	10.93
Total		1,140,699	100
Registered voters/turnout		2,098,651
Source: African Elections database

Aftermath

After winning the election, and the passing of the new constitution in the simultaneous referendum, Nkrumah was inaugurated on 1 July 1960, replacing Governor-General William Hare as head of state. Danquah was imprisoned the following year under the Preventive Detention Act, but only held for a year. On his release, he was elected President of the Ghana Bar Association. He was imprisoned again in 1964 and died in jail.

Four years later, another referendum strengthened Nkrumah's powers and turned the country into a one-party state (with an official result of 99.91% in support).

Elections and referendums in Ghana

Presidential elections	1960 1979 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Parliamentary elections	1925 1939 1946 1951 1954 1956 1965 1969 1979 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Referendums	1956* 1960 1964 1978 1992

* British Togoland only

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