Mahama Dominates Social Media Campaign Spending Ahead of 2024 Elections.

Accra: The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, has significantly outspent his main rival, New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, on social media campaign advertisements over the past three months. Mahama's expenditure on electoral and political ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram has exceeded that of all other presidential candidates combined as the elections approach.According to Ghana News Agency, Meta's Spending Tracker reveals that Mahama's campaign has invested a total of $68,885 on 43 advertisements categorized under 'Issues, Elections, and Politics' on Meta platforms. This accounts for 69 percent of the total $99,641 spent by presidential candidates from September 3 to December 1, 2024. In contrast, Dr. Bawumia has spent $30,184 on 76 advertisements, representing 30 percent of the total expenditure.Meta's Spending Tracker provides insights into the candidates' advertisement spending, which is made public to enhance accounta bility and transparency in the electoral process. The social media giant emphasizes its commitment to transparency to help prevent interference in elections. The Meta Ad Library also offers additional details about the ads, including funding sources, spending ranges, and demographic reach.The popularity of the candidates on social media is evident, with Mahama's page liked by 1.6 million people and Bawumia's page liked by 1.1 million. The spending by other presidential candidates during the 90-day period accounted for less than one percent of the total. Kofi Koranteng spent $330, George Twum-Barima-Adu spent $143, Nana Akosua Frimpomaa of the Convention People's Party spent $95, and independent candidate Alan Kyerematen spent $4.Mahama's advertisements targeted audiences in Ghana, focusing on themes such as change, women and youth empowerment, and the flagship 24-hour economy policy. Meanwhile, Dr. Bawumia's ads emphasized the NPP's flagship Free SHS and TVET policies and highlighted his campaign activiti es across the country. The NPP flagbearer's ads targeted audiences primarily in Accra, Kumasi, and the Eastern, Central, Northern, and Western Regions, using interest-based targeting for users interested in soccer, basketball, and mobile phones.Meta archives all ads related to social issues, elections, or politics for a duration of seven years. The Meta Ad Library allows the public to view specific ads run by a page. Ghana is gearing up for both presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday, December 7, with over 18 million registered voters expected to participate.