Ghana's ex-president John Dramani Mahama has become the leader of the country's largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), after overwhelmingly winning a vote on Saturday.

Mahama, who won 95.24 percent of all valid votes cast, will lead the NDC in next year's general election.

Out of 224,184 valid votes cast, the ex-president got 213,487, while his closest rival, Joshua Alabi, a former University rector, polled 1.52 percent with 3,404 votes, according to results declared by the Electoral Commission early Sunday.

Second deputy speaker of parliament, Alban Kingsford Bagbin, came third with 1.52 percent, polling 2,301 votes.

"Tonight, I want to serve notice to Ghana that from the outcome of this election, the NDC is strong; the NDC is united; the NDC is poised for victory in 2020," Mahama told supporters in the early hours of Sunday at the party headquarters.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing can stop our march towards Flagstaff House (the seat of government)," he said.

Mahama urged party supporters to close their ranks and shun the seed of discord their political opponents try to sow among them.

Ghana is scheduled to go to the polls in December next year. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo might be seeking reelection, with Mahama pursuing a comeback after losing the 2016 election to Akufo-Addo. 

Xinhua