Opposition 'wins' Ghana election

John Atta Mills (l) says he has defeated Nana Akufo-Addo (r)

Opposition candidate John Atta Mills says he has won Ghana's election run-off, with official results expected to be released shortly.

"The figures show clearly that I have won the election. I am only waiting for the electoral commissioner to declare me winner," he told his supporters.

Police earlier fired warning shots as large crowds converged on the election headquarters demanding the results.

The governing NPP party said the result was still too close to call.

New Patriotic Party chairman Peter Mac Manu said there had been widespread intimidation of its election agents in the Volta region and results from these areas would be challenged.

Its candidate Nana Akufo-Addo gained the most votes in the first round earlier this month but did not pass the 50% threshold needed for outright victory.

The BBC correspondent in Ghana says that with suspicion of vote-rigging on both sides, there are fears that violence could break out.

The stakes have been raised in these elections because of the discovery of oil, which is expected to start generating revenue in 2010.

Unofficial results published by local media show Mr Atta Mills has a narrow lead.

State broadcaster Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) says Mr Atta Mills has 4,330,705 votes compared to 4,324,085 for Mr Akufo-Addo with results declared in 226 out of 230 constituencies.

These figures give the candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) 50.04%, against 49.96% for the governing NPP.

Ghana is seen as one of Africa's most democratic countries and is hoping to restore the continent's faith in elections after flawed polls and violence in Kenya and Zimbabwe this year.

Some 12.5 million people were eligible to vote in the election - the fifth since the country's return to democracy in 1992.

President John Kufuor is standing down having served two consecutive terms.

He defeated Mr Atta Mills in the two previous elections.