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Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed optimism about his chances of winning the presidential election.<\/strong><\/p>\n Ghanaians went to polls on Saturday with frontrunners Bawumia and opposition NDC party, ex-president John Mahama, facing off in a tight race for the country\u2019s top post.<\/p>\n Touting a slogan \u201cBreak the 8\u201d \u2013 a reference to the usual two, four-year terms in power \u2013 the NPP hopes Bawumia can lead them to an unprecedented third term in office. But he struggled to break away from criticism of Akufo-Addo\u2019s economic record.<\/p>\n Wearing a traditional white smock, Bawumia voted early on Saturday in his hometown of Walewale in the north of Ghana.<\/p>\n \u201cI am very hopeful of winning this election,\u201d he told reporters. \u201cI think we have done a lot of work with our message to the people and the message has been well received.\u201d<\/p>\n A UK-educated economist and former central banker, he points to an economy turning a corner and the government\u2019s continued plans for digitalisation to ease business as well as free education and health programmes.<\/p>\n Ghana\u2019s government temporarily closed all land borders on Friday night through Sunday to \u201censure the integrity\u201d of the vote, an interior ministry statement said.<\/p>\n One man was arrested in possession of a weapon at an Accra polling station, Ghana Police said.<\/p>\n Ghana\u2019s struggling economy dominated the election after the West African gold and cacao producer went through a debt default, high inflation and negotiations for a $3 billion IMF bailout.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s new parliament.<\/p>\n AFP reports that early morning turnout appeared fairly slow in parts of the capital Accra, but steady in other neighbourhoods with the streets of the capital calm.<\/p>\n Muslim women in colourful headscarves waited on wooden benches in the Nima district while students and shop workers cast their ballots in middle-class Stayaways.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to vote for change, the economic situation is very hard,\u201d retired policeman James Nsiah said, waiting to cast his ballot at a booth in the Jamestown area of Accra.<\/p>\n Polling closed at 1700 GMT and counting started immediately. Early results are expected on Sunday with full presidential results scheduled by Tuesday.<\/p>\n With a history of political stability, Ghana\u2019s two main parties, the current ruling NPP and National Democratic Congress (NDC), have alternated in power almost equally since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n