The John I Know Never Lost Elections

His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the President of the republic of Ghana, and the President elect in the 2012 polls is very humble, modest, down to earth, affable and above all respectful. These inalienable qualities earned him the name “Ahobrasie Hene”. Indeed, it is evident in the just ended polls that, the aforementioned innate traits are essential in the life of all vanguard politicians who aspires to high dais in the political landscape. Numerous factors are pointing to the fact of superior veneer in the manifestation of political figures. It pays to be modest, humble, respectful and affable. Let the good people of Ghana be wary of awed verve.

From the then Ghana College, currently Ghana Secondary School (Ghanasco) in Tamale, the Alma-Ata of the President, where His Excellency somehow started his political career unknown to him with high level of humility demonstrated as a Prefect. Clearly, he contested several and came out triumphantly to the admiration of all. He was loved and admired by the student body spanning through his tutors and other workers alike. He beat three colleagues to become library prefect, his schoolmate said. This is the eminent flare to his immunity to defeat in his political career.

Having rested on the fence watching proceedings in the hostile political circumstances in the country with his father being one of the most affected under the military that ousted the CPP government out of power, His Excellency was taken aback from pursuing the itinerary God has ordained him. He proceeded in his private social normal academic progression to acquire job like any other to keep his family rather than engaging in the polarized and terrorized trauma experienced by the military brutalities. This explains why he moved to work with the Japan Embassy as an information, culture and research officer and later PLAN International, Ghana as International relations, Sponsorship Communications and Grants Manager.

As fate will have it, the then Member of Parliament, Mahama Jeduah who incidentally is an Uncle to the President decided not to run for the 1996 parliamentary elections after a term of representing the people of Bole-Bamboi. The obvious choice for the NDC in this constituency was Alhaji Seidu Gilbert Iddi. This stalwart in the NDC of Bole-Bamboi had his name resonating to the people as the noticeable candidate to replace the former MP who is old enough to retire. Lo and behold, there emerged a name which was somehow strange to the juveniles under the universal adult suffrage called John Dramani Mahama.

Nevertheless, this name, John Dramani Mahama was not strange to those who matter by the voting age population. He was identified as the son of a prominent politician in Bole who lifted high the name of Bole in the political history of Ghana. The first Member of Parliament for the West Gonja Constituency and the first Regional Commissioner of the Northern Region during Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s government, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, the father of the President had aleady carved a good name for the benefit of his immediate generation. The primaries of the NDC became easily very smooth ride for John Dramani Mahama who trampled his well acclaimed contender to represent the NDC of his constituency. Another evidence of his invulnerability to electoral loss. As an under dog, he outclassed a fine errand nominee to pick the ticket.

The name John Mahama now became a household name in the Bole-Bamboi Constituency where the infantile that used not to know him composed several mantras with his name as the general elections of 1996 draws closer. It became lucid that the 1996 parliamentary and Presidential polls will go in favor of the NDC. The elections were conducted and the then John Mahama smashed the NPP candidate who was more of a home boy and well known to the people. In fact, the NPP candidate was no threat at all to John Mahama whose fever had completey taken over the entire constituency for good. Again, another triumph worth noting.

Now Hon. John Dramani Mahama became the Member of Parliament in the second parliament of the fourth republic for Bole-Bamboi. He conducted himself perfectly and was granted a deputy minister for communication and later the substantive minister. Another opportunity came for him to represent the constituents after he defeated his opponents in the primaries prior to the 2000 elections. This time around, a new amateur candidate from the NPP was the challenger who once again was no stride to the then Hon. John Dramani Mahama. Another panorama transpired him an opportunity to show his political prowess in the third parliament under the fourth republic.

Once again, Primaries was a mere formality as he has cemented and consolidated his position by the works in both the constituency and parliament which speak volume of his political dexterities. The 2004 parliamentary seat was ardently contested for the consistency in the NPP to retain the same candidate who is now matured in politics to give the incumbent a good run for his money. In fact, it was even reported on Joy fm that, the then MP for Bole-Bamboi was loosing his seat but later turned to be incorrect. This is where the constituents assumed the MP was more of a national figure than their representative because he appealed so much to the good people of Ghana. At this juncture, the name Bole-Bamboi became a common name in the parlance of Ghanaian political arena.

Hon. John, had now became a national figure and was admired by all and many in the then ruling New Patriotic Party. He became minority spokesperson on communication, foreign affairs and a leading member of the Pan African Parliament. With all these experiences and fame, it was no surprise Hon. John Dramanai Mahama was chosen by the ex-President JEA Mills as a running mate which eventually paid off to wrestle power from the ruling New Patriotic Party in the 2008 general elections. A clear indication of his resistance once again to failure in elections.

Now your Excellency VEEP Mahama was elevated as a natural phenomenon to President after the demise of the sitting President, unlike his performance as a Deputy minister which saw him moved to a full fledge minister. Here it is a constitutional requirement making him the fourth successive John to ascend to the Presidency. An office many in the opposition especially the eulogized Okoampa Kwame Ahoofe Jnr Ph D described as care-taker President and others referred to it as spare driver until the successful conduct of the 2012 polls. It is significant to also take notice of the progression to fully apprehend my trend of gratitude of this great leader. I will not be amazed to see his former colleges award him a doctorate degree by his world class writing and colossal leadership skills in the route of time.

The moment the NDC endorsed the President as the sole candidate for their extra-ordinary congress in Kumasi, I then smell rat that, the opposition NPP led by Nana Akufo-Addo are into serious contention. Nobody in the NPP had been previewed to the information that, His Excellency has never lost elections and were so sure of winning the 2012 polls. His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is a high spirited person with divine hand and protection on him. Anybody who runs against him is like running against a moving train. This is a fact I presume my NPP surrogates will not concur to. The truth is that, what God has put together, no man can put asunder. I did not make it that way neither His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has any knowledge of how it is done nor his party NDC. It is God who has ordained it on him and anyone who challenges that is gradually drifting towards his miserable end.

Therefore, it is not a new thing to see him vanquished Nana Akufo-Addo and his NPP in this 2012 poll because I saw it coming. His Excellency John Dramani Mahama is not the typical timid northern Boy as may be perceived. He knows what’s up from the very on set and should not be identified and considered as “Cattle grazer” northerner as some people in the NPP will put it. His Excellency had been calm, gentle, humble, downtrodden, respectful and several other likeable qualities from infancy as attested by his colleagues and friends without any form of mendacity which paid off in his political career as we see right now.

Let us rally behind him and give him all the support to lead us through the BETTER GHANA AGENDA part II. The elections can be contested at the competent court of Jurisdiction as the NPP want to do, but be rest assured it will amount to nothing. It is very relevant for the New Patriotic Party and its leaders to note that, for a first timer in the person of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama with just three months for campaign to give a very good account of himself to win the 2012 polls need commendation rather than baseless accusation to stimulate exasperation. Ghana is a peaceful country and we need peace to continue the developmental agendas we saw in our manifestos. I urge all Ghanaians to be patience on the election related issues than to be patients at our hospitals.

Kashaa Nuhu.

Babnuh11@yahoo.com