On the 7th December 2012 Ghana held its sixth presidential and parliamentary elections under the Fourth Republic. The incumbent presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, won, narrowly beating his major opponent, Nana Akufo-Addo. The president’s party the National Democratic Congress (NDC) also retained a majority in the unicameral parliament. Following the declaration of the results, the main opposition party the New Patriotic Party (NPP) filed a petition to the Supreme Court arguing that the election was marred by widespread electoral malpractices and fraud. Over the next eight months Ghanaians were fixated on the court proceedings which were broadcast live on television and radio. In August 2013, President Mahama was eventually declared to have been ‘validly elected’ by the Supreme Court. Ghana’s 2012 elections show the role of the judiciary in promoting electoral integrity and securing political stability. The elections also saw an increase in issue-based campaigning.