Ghanaians voted in elections on Saturday with frontrunners vice president Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP ruling party and opposition NDC party ex-president John Mahama facing off in a tight race for the country's top post.

Ghana's struggling economy dominated the election after the West Africa gold and cacao producer went through a debt default, high inflation and negotiations for a $3 billion IMF bailout.

Voters are choosing a successor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, who steps down after his allowed two, four-year terms, and they will also elect the country's new parliament.

Early morning turnout appeared fairly slow in parts of the capital Accra, but steady in other neighbourhoods with the streets of the capital calm. Muslim women in colourful headscarves waited on wooden benches in the Nima district while students and shop workers to cast their ballots in middle-class Stayaways.

"We want to vote for change, the economic situation is very hard," retired policeman James Nsiah said, waiting to cast his ballot at a booth in the Jamestown area of Accra.

Polling closes at 1700 GMT and counting will start immediately. Early........

© International Business Times