Ghana Presidential Contender Is Masked

Ghana elects a new president in about a year, and the candidate who appears to be generating the most buzz at the moment is a bit of a mystery. And we mean that literally—the unidentified candidate is appearing in billboards with his face covered by an ornamental mask, reports Semafor. The ads are billing the mystery man as head of a new independent party called the Third Force, with the slogan "Leadership for a New Generation," and the party says the mask will off come soon.

"We have noted with appreciation the growing enthusiasm for #TheNewForce," begins one of its social media posts. So far, the party has not revealed any policies, only the promise of change. As Semafor notes, the nation's two main parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress, have alternated being in power for decades, and New Force is arguing it's time to end that streak.

This year's race is otherwise very much about the establishment—it features the current vice president (Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP) running against a former president (John Mahama of the NDC, who got the nomination in May, per Reuters). While the mystery candidate preps his big reveal, there is much speculation that the masked man is businessman Nana Kwame Bediako, who goes by Cheddar. (More Ghana stories.)