Former President John Mahama has said politically aligned newspapers in Ghana are peddling falsehood about him for political gains.

According to him, newspapers owned by politicians have earned a reputation for publishing untruths about him.

Denying reports that he is worth about $900million, he said: “This is absolutely not true. This was published by a partisan newspaper and it’s done for political gain. It (newspaper) is owned by politicians, and they put out all these misinformation for political gains.”

Mr Mahama, who lost the December 2016 polls to Nana Akufo-Addo, told South Africa’s Power98.7FM, where he is on a talking engagement and to also receive an award for African leadership, that “I am not anywhere near even $2million to talk about $900 million”.

“I am absolutely nowhere near that,” Mr Mahama stressed, explaining: “Often my brother [Ibrahim] is confused with me. My brother is a businessman, he has his assets and I have no interest in his business and I don’t own shares in his business.

“I am a farmer, I have published a book and I have earned royalties from my book and I earn from my farm and that is it. I live a very modest life.”