John Dramani Mahama, born on Saturday, 29 November 1958, is a Ghanaian politician who held the position of President of Ghana from 24 July 2012 to 7 January 2017. Before his presidency, he served as Vice President of Ghana from January 2009 to July 2012. Mahama assumed office as president on 24 July 2012 following the passing of his predecessor, John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills.
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahama represented Bole Bamboi in Parliament from 1997 to 2009. He also held roles as Deputy Minister for Communication and later as Minister for Communications. Mahama is notable for being the first vice president to ascend to the presidency due to the death of his predecessor.
Additionally, he is the first Ghanaian head of state born after the country’s independence. After winning the December 2012 election, Mahama served a full term as President. In the 2016 election, he sought re-election but was defeated by Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party, making him the first President of Ghana to not secure a second term.
EARLY YEARS
Mahama, a member of the Gonja ethnic group in the Savanna Region of Ghana, was born on Saturday, November 29, 1958, in Damongo. His father, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, was a prominent figure in Ghanaian politics and served as the first Member of Parliament for the West Gonja constituency.
Mahama’s educational journey took him from Accra Newtown Experimental School to the University of Ghana, Legon, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in history and postgraduate diploma in communication studies.
EARLY CAREER
After completing his undergraduate studies, Mahama dedicated a few years to teaching history at the secondary school level. Following his return to Ghana from Moscow, where he pursued further studies, he assumed the role of Information, Culture, and Research Officer at the Embassy of Japan in Accra from 1991 to 1995.
Subsequently, he transitioned to the Ghana Country Office of the non-governmental organization Plan International, where he served as the Manager for International Relations, Sponsorship Communications, and Grants between 1995 and 1996. In 1993, he had the opportunity to participate in a professional training course for Overseas Public Relations Staff, organized by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo. Additionally, he took part in a management development course organized by Plan International (RESA) in Nairobi, Kenya.
MINISTER AND VICE PRESIDENT
Mahama’s career in public service began in April 1997 when he assumed the role of Deputy Minister of Communications. He held this position until November 1998. During his time as Minister for Communications, Mahama took on additional responsibilities as the Chairman of the National Communications Authority. In this role, he played a crucial part in stabilizing Ghana’s telecommunications sector after its deregulation in 1997.
Mahama’s dedication to public service extended beyond his role in communications. He was a founding member of the Ghana AIDS Commission and served as a member of the implementation committee for the 2000 National Population Census. Additionally, he was a deputy chairman of the Publicity Committee for the re-introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT).
Mahama’s interest in international affairs grew over time, leading him to become a member of the Pan-African Parliament in 2003. He served as the Chairperson of the West African Caucus within the parliament until 2011. Furthermore, he was a member of the European and Pan African Parliaments’ Ad hoc Committee on Cooperation.
In 2005, he was appointed as the Minority Spokesman for Foreign Affairs. Mahama’s involvement in international affairs also extended to his role as a member of the UNDP Advisory Committee on Conflict Resolution in Ghana. On January 7, 2009, Mahama took on the position of Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, alongside President John Evan Atta Mills.
During his tenure, he held various important positions such as Chairman of the National Economic Management Team, the Armed Forces Council of Ghana, the Decentralization and Implementation Committee, and the Police Council of Ghana. Mahama’s commitment to public service and his involvement in both national and international affairs have shaped his career and contributed to his diplomatic expertise.
AS PRESIDENT
In accordance with the constitution of Ghana, Mahama assumed the presidency on 24 July 2012 following the passing of his predecessor, John Atta Mills. This marked a significant milestone as he became the first president of Ghana to have served at all levels of political office, both within Ghana and on a Pan-African level. Upon being sworn in, Mahama expressed his deep sorrow and grief, acknowledging the immense loss the nation had suffered.
He described it as the saddest day in our nation’s history, emphasizing the unity of Ghana in mourning for their departed president. As the new president, Mahama also made history by being the first Ghanaian head of state to be born after the country’s independence in 1957. The endorsement of President Mahama as the National Democratic Congress’ presidential candidate for the 2012 elections further solidified his position. With an overwhelming majority of votes, Mahama secured the party’s nomination, demonstrating his commitment to continuing the Better Ghana Agenda initiated by President Mills.
In the subsequent general election held in December 2012, Mahama emerged victorious with a narrow margin of 50.70% of the valid votes cast. His closest competitor, Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party, garnered 47.74% of the votes. Despite the slim margin, Mahama’s victory spared the need for a runoff. Furthermore, he secured the majority of valid votes in eight out of Ghana’s ten administrative regions.
Thirteen African Heads of State, along with one Prime Minister, two vice-presidents, and 18 government delegations from around the world, gathered at the Black Star Square in Accra on 7 January 2013 to witness Mahama’s inauguration for his four-year term. Following his inauguration, the opposition New Patriotic Party, led by Nana Akufo-Addo, Mahamudu Bawumia, and Jacob Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, contested the election results, citing irregularities and violations.
The case was brought before nine justices of the Supreme Court of Ghana, who, after eight months of deliberation, dismissed the petition on 29 August 2013. Mahama holds a significant presence on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, making him one of Africa’s most-followed leaders.
In May 2013, he expressed concerns about the threat of Islamist militancy in West Africa. In March 2014, Mahama was elected to lead ECOWAS, and in June 2014, he was chosen as the Chairperson of the African Union’s High-Level African Trade Committee. Additionally, in January 2016, during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mahama was appointed co-chair of the Sustainable Development Goals Advocates group, which aims to assist the UN Secretary-General in achieving the SDGs by 2030.
Mahama ran for a second term in the December 2016 general election, as he was eligible to do so after assuming the presidency with only six months left in Mills’ term. In Ghana, a vice president who takes over the presidency can seek two full terms if more than half of the predecessor’s term has passed.
Despite his efforts, he was defeated by opposition leader Akufo-Addo in a rematch from four years prior and graciously accepted defeat on election night. Mahama received 44.4% of the valid votes cast, while Akufo-Addo secured 53.5%. Additionally, in December 2016, he played a key role in the ECOWAS mediation team tasked with resolving the post-election political crisis in The Gambia between Yahya Jammeh and Adam Barrow.
PRESIDENTIAL BID 2020
In February 2019, Mahama emerged as the chosen candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress to compete in the 2020 elections. However, the incumbent president Nana Akufo-Addo defeated Mahama in the 2016 election by capitalizing on an economy that was facing challenges due to declining prices for gold, oil, and cocoa exports.
During the National Democratic Congress primaries, Mahama secured an overwhelming 213,487 votes, which accounted for 95.23 percent of the total valid votes cast, while the other six contenders managed to secure only about 4 percent of the votes. On 4 December 2020, Mahama and the incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo, who he had previously faced in the 2012 and 2016 Ghanaian presidential elections, signed a peace pact to ensure a peaceful environment before, during, and after the 7 December elections. Ultimately, Akufo-Addo emerged as the winner of the election, securing 51.6% of the vote.
In August 2021, Mahama embarked on a tour known as the ‘Thank you tour’ in Ghana. The purpose of this tour was to express gratitude to the Ghanaian people for their support in the 2020 presidential election. During the first phase of the tour, Mahama visited the Upper West, Upper East, North East, Northern, and Savannah regions. He had the opportunity to meet with Chiefs and Queens, religious leaders, and also interacted with the media.
PRESIDENTIAL BID 2024
John Mahama emerged victorious on Saturday, May 14, 2023, as he secured the nomination of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to compete in the upcoming 2024 General elections. With an overwhelming support of 297,603 votes, which accounted for 98.9% of the total, Mahama solidified his position as the party’s candidate. His closest rival, former Kumasi Mayor Kojo Bonsu, received a mere 3,181 votes, representing a meager 1.1%. Notably, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a former Finance Minister, withdrew from the race on Friday, May 12, 2023, leaving Mahama and Bonsu as the main contenders in this two-horse race. Mahama was eventually elected as the party flagbearer for the 2024 general elections.
CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS
In 2016, it came to light that Mahama had accepted a Ford Expedition from a construction firm that was vying for a profitable government contract back in 2012, during his tenure as vice president. This firm, which had previously constructed a wall at the Ghanaian Embassy in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, was seeking a road-building contract in Ghana’s Volta region.
Although the contractor eventually secured the contract, the vehicle in question had already been incorporated into the government’s fleet of cars by the former president for official use. During Mahama’s presidency in 2014, Ghana’s Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) misused millions of dollars that were allocated to it.
SADA paid GH₵32,498,000 to ACICL, a business owned by Roland Agambire, a close confidante of Mahama, to plant five million trees in the savannah zone. However, SADA could only account for approximately 700,000 trees. Additionally, it was discovered that SADA had spent GH¢15 million on guinea fowl, but could only provide evidence of a few of these birds.
In 2015, it was once again revealed that the contract for the rebranding of 116 Metro Mass Transit (MMT) buses, costing Gh₵3,600,000, was awarded to a company called “Smarttys.” This company was owned by Selassie Ibrahim, a member of the ruling NDC party and an activist. It was discovered that the rebranding of the buses had cost the government more than the actual cost of the 116 buses themselves. Eventually, the lost funds were refunded through the Attorney General’s office.
