It is the beginning of a new day for Ghana as former President John Dramani Mahama returned to power as he was officially sworn in as Ghana’s president at a spectacular inauguration ceremony held at the Black Star Square in Accra.
He was sworn in as the sixth President in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, taking over from outgone President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Both oath of allegiance and Presidential oath were administered to him by Ghana’s Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo at a superlative ceremony witnessed by 21 African leaders, including Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, some global leaders as well as members of diplomatic corps serving in Ghana.
It was a festival of sort as Ghanaians, who thronged the Black Star Square in Accra in their thousands to witness the historic event, sang and danced their hearts out as their beloved country began another democratic journey.
Mahama, 65, had made a significant political comeback having secured an emphatic victory over the out-gone Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in the December 7, 2024 presidential vote.
In an election that saw a 60.9 percent voter turnout, Mahama candidate of then opposition party, the Democratic National Congress, NDC, secured 56.6 percent of the vote cast against his New Patriotic Party (NPP) rival, then Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who got 41.6 percent.
This margin of victory, according to political pundits, is the largest recorded in Ghana’s elections in 24 years.
Mahama, who ruled Ghana between 2012 and 2017, replaces Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, promising to address pressing issues such as economic challenges, corruption, unemployment, and the environmental damage caused by illegal mining, known locally as galamsey.
Having lost the 2016 and 2020 elections, political observers see Mahama’s dramatic return to power as a testament to his resilience and the electorate’s demand for change.
They also see his victory as a continuation of Ghana’s time-tested tradition of alternating power between the NDC and the NPP, with no party winning more than two consecutive terms since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992.
In his inaugural speech, President Mahama thanked Ghanaians for their confidence in him, stating that he sees the historic mandate given him as a golden opportunity to reset Ghana.
He promised to bring about change, exercise sound judgment, and make timely decisions even as he emphasized his government’s commitment to restoring economic stability, promoting good governance, and implementing 24-hour economy policy which was an important peg in his campaign.
