President John Dramani Mahama has said he is prepared to face the risks associated with championing African unity, even if it means suffering a fate similar to that of Ghana’s first president, the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

According to him, Nkrumah faced serious consequences for his Pan-African beliefs.

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Mahama made the remarks when he met members of the Ghanaian community in Moscow, Russia, during his recent visit.

In a video shared on Facebook on October 30, 2026, he recalled how Nkrumah, after being overthrown in the 1966 coup and forced into exile, expressed confidence that many more people who shared his vision would follow in his footsteps.

“I think he was referring to people like me. Because I believe in him, and I believe in his vision and his philosophy of Pan-Africanism and African unity, and as long as I remain president, that will continue to be my vision,” he said.

President Mahama acknowledged that standing up for Africa could come with serious risks, including political overthrow and assassination.

He cited Dr Kwame Nkrumah and former Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba as examples of African leaders who suffered for their beliefs.

“It has its risks, as you said, and Nkrumah suffered it. In the past, they could engineer your ouster through a coup d'etat or you could be assassinated.

“Patrice Lumumba is an example. I mean, several months after he had become president of Congo, they killed him, so it comes with its risks, but those are risks we are prepared to accept, I mean, if it is in the interest of our nation,” he added.

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Mahama further said he would continue to speak boldly on issues affecting Africa, even when his comments made some people uncomfortable.

He emphasized that his position is informed by his concern for future generations and the need for African countries to work towards their own development.

Watch the video below:



MAG/VPO

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