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Ghana Votes - On Dec. 7, Ghanaian citizens went to the polls to cast ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections that will have sweeping implications no matter the outcome. Take a look at what the election could mean for the nation. — Naeesa Aziz (Photo: AP Photo/Gabriela Barnuevo)

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Mahama Moves Ahead With Inauguration Plans - The transition team for Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama met for the first time Friday to make preparations for his Jan. 7, inauguration despite opposition calls to contest the election results.Transition team member Agyeman Badu Akosa said preparations for Mahama’s swearing in will continue until the court makes a decision.  (Photo: REUTERS/Luc Gnago)

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Opposition Contests Results - Just days after Ghana's board of elections declared incumbent candidate John Mahama winner of the presidential election, representatives for the NPP announced that they will contest the outcome of the Dec. 7 poll.   (Photo: REUTERS/Luc Gnago)  

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John Mahama Declared Winner - Incumbent John Mahama was announced winner of Ghana's presidential election by the country's electoral commission. Mahama grabbed 50.7 percent of votes, with 47.7 percent going to opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo.(Photo: AP Photo/Christian Thompson)

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Opposition Displays Discontent - Ghana's opposition party pledged to contest Mahama's win in spite of pre-election pledges to accept the outcome of the election. While the NPP claims fraud was afoot, international election observers called the results "an accurate reflection of how Ghanaians voted in the December 7 polls."(Photo: AP Photo/Christian Thompson)

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What’s Their System Like? - In Ghana, a presidential election is held every four years. In parliament, 275 seats are up for grabs. Nearly 14 million Ghanaians registered to vote in this election and the national board of elections will use a biometric system to confirm voter identity. (Photo: AP Photo/Gabriela Barnuevo)

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NPP vs. NDC - While there were eight presidential candidates on the ballot, the main battle was between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The NDC was founded by former president Jerry John Rawlings and espouses the “egalitarian treatment of all persons.” The NPP runs a more economically driven agenda, striving to “'promote a vibrant, free-market economy.” (Photo: AP Photo/Gabriela Barnuevo)

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Ghana Sticks With Mahama - Earlier this year Ghana’s former sitting president and NDC party member John Atta Mills died unexpectedly. Upon his death, the country peacefully installed vice president John Mahama as interim leader. (Photo: AP Photo/Gabriela Barnuevo)

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Mahama’s Vision for the Future - NDC candidate and incumbent president John Mahama ran on a platform that stressed a vision of increasing prosperity for the country. Mahama promised voters to put Ghana on the path of becoming a middle-income country. (Photo: AP Photo/Christian Thompson)

Photo By Photo: AP Photo/Christian Thompson

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Akufo-Addo’s Way Forward - NPP candidate Nana Akufo-Addo promised Ghanaians free secondary schooling and placed education at the center of his plan to propel the country forward. Akufo-Addo also made pledges to extend coverage of Ghana's National Health Insurance and fight corruption. (Photo: AP Photo/Gabriela Barnuevo)

Photo By Photo: AP Photo/Gabriela Barnuevo

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Oil Wealth - The question of who will best manage Ghana’s oil wealth loomed large in this election. Ghana began oil production in 2010, and many still worry that the wealth generated from the enterprise could be squandered if the country is in the wrong hands. (Photo: REUTERS/Yaw Bibini)

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Dollar Dollar Bills - Ghana’s currency, the cedi, lost 17 percent against the dollar this year amid economic trouble in the West. Many hope that oil revenue will provide the economic boom Ghana needs to become less affected by economic fluctuations in Western nations and China.  (Photo: Shaul Schwarz/Getty Images)

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“Test of Democracy” - With a recent track record of peaceful, successful elections, including the peaceful transfer of power after President Mills’ death, Ghana is being considered the poster-child for a conflict-free, democratic West Africa. Election observers watched closely to judge whether Ghana will continue to make the grade. (photo: REUTERS/Luc Gnago)

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What's Next? - All eyes will remain on Ghana to see how the country deals with the opposition challenge, and also whether Mahama can leverage control of the world's fastest-growing economies — if he stays in office.(Photo: AP Photo/Christian Thompson)