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General News of Thursday, 17 August 2017

Source: yen.com.gh

6 things Mahama has been up to since 2016 election defeat

Former President John Mahama Former President John Mahama

Former Ghana president, John Dramani Mahama, has had an eventful few months following his loss in the 2016 elections to Nana Akufo-Addo.

The former National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag-bearer was handed a heavy defeat at last year's polls, despite his advantage as the incumbent.

Mahama managed to record just 44.4% of the vote cast, with Akufo-Addo emerging victorious after garnering 53.4%.

However, despite being unseated as Ghana's president, Mahama has most often been in the spotlight for various reasons.

We take a look at four happenings that he has been involved in since his loss in the 2016 elections.

1. Launching of his book



Mahama first launched his autobiography, My First Coup D’état, in 2012 when he was Vice President to late Ghana president John Evans Atta-Mills.

And after losing the 2016 elections, he continued with his book tour around the globe.

Kenya and South Africa are just a few of the countries where he launched his book.

2. Meeting former ambassadors and NDC party hierarchy



Mahama sat through a meeting with some ranking members of the NDC to deliberate on what led to the party's loss in the 2016 polls.

He advised them not to give up hope as the party looks forward to returning to power in the 2020 elections.

Mahama again met up with some former ambassadors under his government.

3. Taking blame for the NDC's loss



Mahama endured a torrid time following the party's loss, with some party members laying the blame solely on his doorstep.

He later admitted that he would take blame for the NDC's heavy defeat since he was the leader of the party during the elections.

Some party members went as far as calling for him not to contest again for the NDC flag-bearership.

4. Supervising Kenyan elections as a Commonwealth Observer

Speaking to volunteers of the (local) Election Observation Group in their operations/ collation centre. #ElogPVT #KenyaVotes2017

A post shared by H.E. John Dramani Mahama (@dramani_mahama1) on



Mahama was one of the few people selected as Commonwealth Observers during the recent Kenyan elections.

He was selected to lead 14 others who were tasked to monitor and report on the Kenyan elections.

Uhuru Kenyatta won a second term in office after being declared winner.

5. Took a "well-deserved vacation"

That Selfie Moment ????

A post shared by H.E. John Dramani Mahama (@dramani_mahama1) on



Via his official Instagram page, John Mahama gave a us a glimpse of his time on vacation away from the hustle and bustle of the political scene in Ghana.

6. Working for the Dubai government



News broke that, while in Namibia, John Mahama introduce the service of some energy companies.

He was reportedly acting as the leading lobbyist, pursuing the investment interest of companies in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, in the energy sector in Namibia.

Whoever said there is no life after an election defeat has most probably not met former president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama.