Come Sunday, October 7 2008, Ghana, the first of African countries to gain political independence will go to the polls to elect her president and consolidate her democracy.

One of Africa's prominent statesman, John Agyekum Kufur will be handing over to who gets elected from the seven contestants to the office of the president of Ghana.

However, the two major candidates favoured to win at the polls are Nana Akufo-Addo, a 64-year-old lawyer fielded by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and his age mate and fellow lawyer, John Atta-Mills of National Democratic Congress (NDC).

With the recent fall-outs in election witnessed in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, Ghana's election will be seen by many as a defining factor in the ability of Africans to conduct a free and fair election.

Being the two parties that have been in power over the last 16 years in Ghana, the 2008 elections has been variously described as 'very competitive' and 'hot' by analysts.

Analysts also see the business mogul, Papa Kwesi Nduom of the Convention People's Party (CPP) as another keen contender to the office of president of Ghana.

The nation's Electoral Commission which has been criticised for not forestalling a violent voter registration exercise earlier this year is getting ready to conduct a free and fair election.

With the introduction of a new constitution restoring multi-party politics in 1992 in this former British colony, Jerry Rawlings was elected as president that year and again in 1996 to serve for a second term. The constitution of Ghana prohibits him from running for a third term. John Agyekum Kufuor, took over from him in year 2000 and was elected in 2004.

2007 marked Ghana's Golden Jubilee, fifty years of independence mixed with democracy and military rule. 2007 also marked the discovery of crude oil in the coast of Ghana with estimated 600 million barrels reserves.

Ghana is getting ready for the election, whoever wins at Sunday's polls will definitely have more funds to work with.