Ghana’s new President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has extolled the democratic virtues of outgoing President John Mahama saying his contribution to the country’s democracy will forever be cherished.
Nana Akufo-Addo says Mr Mahama’s honourable act of conceding defeat as a sitting president to make way for him to serve will go down in Ghana’s democratic history.
Speaking at an event Saturday to mark his investiture as President and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as Vice President of the 4th Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo paid glowing tribute to the country’s former leaders and living ex-Presidents: Jerry John Rawlings, John Kufuor, and John Mahama.
He prayed God keeps the soul of departed President John Evans Atta Mills who defeated him in the 2008 election.
After the salutations, he thanked John Mahama for his service to the nation adding, who he said stepped into the presidency at a “delicate moment” in the country’s history with the death in office of a sitting president.
“He has since steered the affairs of the state with conviction. His elegance by acceptance of the verdict of the people December 7 will, without doubt, receive the approval of history…I wish him and his family well…”
Ex-President Mahama and President Akufo-Addo both entered parliament in the same year [1997] and exited in the same year [2009].
They both served as ministers of state with Mr Mahama serving as Communication Minister under the first National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) first term under Rawlings and Akufo-Addo served as Attorney-General and Foreign Affairs Minister in the Kufuor administration.
President Akufo-Addo said he feels honoured to be in a unique position to be able to draw from the wisdom of three former heads of states whom he described as representing the continuation of the institutions of the country.
