Ghana, the first of African countries to gain political independence will go to the polls Sunday to elect her president.

With this Sunday schedule, church services in Ghana will now hold on Saturday to give Christians who constitute over 60 per cent of the population a chance to vote in the national elections. The election is to commence by 7am and end by 5pm.

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, Professor John Atta-Mills of National Democratic Congress (NDC).

John Mills, the former deputy to former President Jerry Rawlings, is in his third attempt to become Ghana’s president, after losing to incumbent President John Kuffuor in the 2000 and 2004 presidential polls.

With the recent fall-outs in election 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.