Former Vice President Aliu Mahama’s Eid El Adha celebration in Tamale, where he has been since last Thursday, was messed up when he was overwhelmed with sympathizers who called to inquire about his health.

Their reaction followed an announcement by President John Dramani Mahama during the recent Eid El Adha celebration at the Independence Square in Accra that former Vice President Aliu Mahama was on admission in hospital and needed prayers.

“Let us spare some prayers for former Vice President Aliu Mahama who is always with us here but cannot be with us today because he is sick and at the hospital receiving treatment,” President Mahama had told the Muslim gathering on Friday.

Alhaji Aliu Mahama had been in Tamale since last Thursday but paradoxically, on Friday, President John Mahama enjoined Muslims during the Eid prayers at the Independence Square to pray for his speedy recovery.

Speaking to Joy FM after President Mahama’s unsolicited prayers for his recovery, Alhaji Mahama expressed opprobrium about the development, especially when the President never called or even sent message to him to wish him well.

Alhaji Mahama conceded that he went for a check-up and doctors advised him to take some few days’ rest, and during the period, President Mahama never visited him or sent him a goodwill message; only for him to mount a podium to peddle falsehood to achieve a political point.

President Mahama is fond of making announcement on platforms for people, especially Muslim leaders, who appear to be unwell.

When the Ameer in charge of the Ahmadiyya Mission was at the 37 Military Hospital for medical care, the President went to town announcing to the public that the Islamic leader had been hospitalized.

For some, the announcement about the ailment of the former Vice President was nothing but political mischief, as noted of the President in recent past.

Alhaji Salifu Issa, a resident of Accra Newtown, said it was regrettable that President Mahama, who did not visit or even call the former Vice President while he was on admission, would “mischievously ask Muslims to pray for the former Number Two Citizen’s speedy recovery during his address at last Friday’s Eid El Adha prayers at the Independence Square”.

A certain Malam Tanko Adam, who claimed to be an NPP activist in Accra Newtown, called DAILY GUIDE on phone and described President John Mahama’s remarks as diabolic and should be condemned as such.

“Even in our traditional setting, this is unacceptable. You do not go to a public place and announce the ailment of a person as you pretend to ask for prayers for his speedy recovery,” he said.

The former Vice President was recently at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after he became unwell in Sunyani while en route to the North.

He has since been discharged and is having a good time in Tamale.

One of the aggrieved persons said, “Nana Akufo Addo was verbally attacked by Kwesi Pratt Jnr for wishing the late President John Evans Mills speedy recovery when the latter was en route to the US for medical treatment, when indeed everybody saw that the late president was seriously sick but John Mahama and his NDC people strenuously parried it.”