UPDATED: John Mahama Officially Sworn In as Ghana’s President

John Mahama takes the oath of office as Ghana’s President, marking the start of a new chapter in the nation’s political journey.

John Mahama was sworn in as Ghana’s new president during a ceremony attended by global leaders.

Mahama took the oath of office at Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana’s capital, on Tuesday.

The new president assumed office following Nana Akufo-Addo, who had initially taken on the role in 2017. Prior to Mahama’s inauguration, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang made history as she was sworn in as the country’s first female vice president.

At the event, Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo of Ghana administered the oath of office.

“Today represents a chance to revitalize our country,” the 66-year-old newly elected president declared while donning the national attire of the West African nation. He addressed an enthusiastic crowd adorned in green, red, black, and white—the colors of his National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.

A vibrant energy emanated from Accra’s Black Star Square as a crowd of joyful faces waved Ghanaian and NDC flags, chanted together, and erupted into impromptu dance to the rhythm of drums and the loud sound of vuvuzelas.

The attendees included Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senegal’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Burkina Faso’s leader Ibrahim Traore, Kenyan President William Ruto, Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, and Gabon’s Brice Oligui Nguema.

Presidents Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Mamadi Doumbouya of Guinea, along with former leaders and officials, also attended the inauguration.

The pair secured victory in the December election, with Mahama returning to the position he vacated seven years prior, aiming to rejuvenate Ghana’s struggling economy.

The candidate from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) secured 50 percent of the votes, defeating then-Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the incumbent party.

He secured 6.3 million votes, defeating Bawumia by a margin of 1.7 million votes. Bawumia, representing the New Patriotic Party (NPP), promptly conceded defeat following the election results.

“The citizens of Ghana have made their voices heard and chosen change at this moment, which we humbly respect,” he stated during a press conference.

Mahama confirmed on his X account that he had received a congratulatory call from Bawumia.

Mahama governed Ghana from 2012 to early 2017. After two unsuccessful attempts to regain the presidency, he successfully channeled Ghanaians’ desire for change in December’s election.

The economy emerged as a significant election issue following Ghana’s debt default and subsequent $3-billion agreement with the IMF.

Ghana has only recently started to recover from its most severe economic downturn in years, where inflation spiked at 50 percent in late 2022—though it has since decreased to 23 percent.

Since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992, Ghana has enjoyed a history of political stability with its two main parties, the ruling NPP and the NDC, alternating power equally.

With a population of 33 million, the country is Africa’s leading gold exporter and ranks as the world’s second-largest cocoa producer.