John Mahama has been inaugurated as Ghana’s president for a second term during a ceremony in Accra, attended by approximately 20 African leaders.
Mahama secured 56 percent of the votes in the presidential election held on December 9, defeating Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the ruling party candidate, who garnered 41 percent. He succeeds outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo, who completed two terms in office.
Addressing an enthusiastic crowd adorned in the green, red, black, and white colors of his National Democratic Congress (NDC) party, the 66-year-old president said, “Today should mark the opportunity to reset our country.” Mahama, dressed in Ghana’s traditional attire, spoke to supporters gathered at Accra’s Black Star Square on Tuesday.
The event was marked by vibrant celebrations as attendees waved Ghanaian and NDC flags, sang, danced to drumming beats, and blew vuvuzelas.
Dignitaries in attendance included Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senegal’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traore, Kenyan President William Ruto, President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon’s Brice Oligui Nguema.
Mahama was sworn in alongside Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who has made history as Ghana’s first female vice president.
His return to power concludes the eight-year rule of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President Akufo-Addo. The outgoing administration faced significant challenges, including economic crises, a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, and a debt default.
Mahama, who previously governed Ghana from 2012 to 2017, had lost two attempts to regain the presidency but managed to harness voters’ desire for change in the recent election.
Supporters at Black Star Square expressed optimism and excitement. Akosua Nyarko, a teacher from Cape Coast, described the occasion as the “dawn of a new era,” while Mohammed Abubakar, a farmer from Tamale, voiced confidence in Mahama’s commitment to rural development.
Mahama’s personal history reflects his early exposure to politics. Born in northern Ghana to a privileged family, his father, a junior government minister, was briefly detained during a 1966 military coup. These experiences, chronicled in Mahama’s memoir My First Coup d’Etat, shaped his perspective.
Beyond his political career, Mahama has served as a member of parliament and chairman of the West Africa Caucus at the Pan-African Parliament in Pretoria.
