The New Statesman can state authoritatively that majority of African Heads of State who attended the swearing in of Ghana’s ‘temporary’ president have expressed their displeasure about the manner in which they were literally forced “to pay homage” to President Mahama.

Some aides close to the Heads of State who spoke to the New Statesman on condition of anonymity expressed their displeasure at the turn of events, which they described as an “ambush”.

They complained that events on the day did not conform to the “agreed correspondence” between the event planning committee and their respective governments.

According to the aides, nowhere in the “agreed correspondence” was there an agreement that their presidents would climb up the dais to literally pay homage to President Mahama.

The Senegalese President, Macky Sall, for example, was visibly distraught after descending the dais to congratulate President Mahama and Vice President Amissah-Arthur.

“No country that my president has visited to witness the inauguration of a fellow president has he been subjected to such ridicule. Why should he walk some 100 meters, climb up a step staircase and ‘pay homage’ to a newcomer president? A visibly angry aide asked the New Statesman.

Political commentators who spoke to the New Statesman expressed their utter shock at what transpired at the Black Star Square.

What was intended to be a swearing in ceremony, according to them, turned out to be forceful acknowledgement of the Mahama presidency, which organizers intended as a ruse to ‘legitimize’ the presidency of John Mahama.

“All the presidents who attended this ceremony know the election results are being disputed. They know President Mahama has been dragged to court to answer charges of fraud and irregularities that characterized his being declared president,” a commentator told the New Statesman.

She continued, “Leading these ministers up those stairs to congratulate Mahama and give him a semblance of legitimacy is indeed laughable. The Supreme Court will decide who really emerged as winner of the 2012 presidential election and if Nana Akufo-Addo is said to have won, we all hope that President Mahama will gracefully bow down his head in shame.”