With Ghana's presidential election approaching this December, a new opinion poll by Accra-based research group Global InfoAnalytics places opposition leader John Dramani Mahama as the frontrunner.

The election comes as President Nana Akufo-Addo prepares to step down in January after serving the constitutional limit of two terms.  

This highly anticipated race will likely see a close contest between former president Mahama, representing the National Democratic Congress, and current Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party candidate.

The stakes are high as Ghanaians prepare to choose a leader to address pressing economic challenges and political reforms.  

To unpack the dynamics of the race, the significance of the poll results, and what this means for Ghana's democracy, is Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante, Political Scientist and Director of the Centre for European Studies at the University of Ghana.