‘History repeats itself’, is as the historians say of historical recurrences; Dr(s). Hilla Liman and John Dramani Mahama are two foremost Ghanaians of northern descent who virtually rose to prominence and to occupy the high office as president on a ‘silver platter,’ but had it rough managing.

Ironically, the duo who were not known to be core members of the political party they represented and also needed a second confirmation to have their legitimacy as presidents validated, incidentally were very popular at election times, but saw their attractiveness begin to wane even before their respective coronation.

And sharing semblance of the inopportune circumstances (both from within and outside their parties) that subsequently led to the military overthrow of the first Northerner President, Dr.Hilla Liman of the People’s National Convention in the 31st December 1981 coup led by Flight Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, President John Mahama, also a Northerner, is increasingly sliding to the realm of suffering a similar fate albeit, possibly without military involvement.

Just like how Dr. Liman underrated the prowess of Mr. Jerry Rawlings when his own security advisors hinted him of how the latter was nurturing plans to topple his government, an account Dr. Liman insisted had no legal justification for which to hold anyone in custody under such pretext, which eventually cost him the presidency and years of humiliation and alienation, President Mahama may be following Dr. Liman’s path.

Whiles the alarm bells of serious discontent amongst his party folks, especially, the party hierarchy, which a virulent opposition like the New Patriotic Party can take advantage to prematurely end his reign, President Mahama seems to be oblivious of it and instead, listening only to praise worshippers who like the story of the King, keep assuring him how well he is regal even when he is naked.

Though this time, a military coup is yet to be sighted on the radar, actions and inactions of members of the President’s own party, the National Democratic Congress, who are surreptitiously, but inadvertently replicating the late President Liman episode and ‘activities’ of the opposition New Patriotic Party, points to only one direction, that is, close the chapter on Mahama’s presidency.

Comparable to the case of Dr. Liman where even as he had a ruthless opposition making his rule ungovernable to contend with, factions emerged in the PNP leading to his own party Members of Parliament foremost in the rejection of his first budget to parliament, and to the extent that some of his party faithful attempted challenging his authority in court; President Mahama must better sit up.

Though the late President Mills’ administration also witnessed serious bashing from the founder of the NDC to a point that former President Rawlings’ wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, even floated a new party with similar colours as the NDC to make him one-term Head of State, the case of President Mahama is totally different and may be more distressing.

Unlike the late President who enjoyed stiff and unflinching support from staunch defendants of the 1979 and 1981 revolution and new ‘converts’ when ex-President Rawlings and the vicious NPP opposition took to their obdurate positions, President John Mahama, just like his Northern comrade, Dr. Liman, would be left in the middle of the turbulent storm with all deadly cold lethal metals pointing at him unless he earnestly and urgently changes strategy.

Despite what his aides say publicly whiles the founder of the NDC, who since the days of late President Mills has made some top brass of the NDC who were with him during the days of the revolution his political nemeses, is on one side lacing his boot to start whipping the president and his administration, at least, per his recent public pronouncements, other kingpins of the ruling party who would also not admit it publicly, but are in fact not enthused with the president’s ‘style’, are also engaged in covert moves to ‘castrate’ the president.

In a move that many have described as modern day coup, it appears it won’t be long before Mr. Rawlings and some of these NDC gurus would be seen on the same page, at least, per Kofi Adam’s recent revelation of some party stalwarts trooping to the founders’ Ridge residence to lodge complaints of Mahama.

Interestingly, some party top guns, who hardly ‘go to town’ to lambast their own party have also begun ‘opening up’ taking a go at the president for either shelving them or purposefully making them redundant, invariably to frustrate them to voluntarily quit from their post or not have a say in the current regime.

Like Mr. Rawlings, who is reported to be furious over what he described as attempts by some “latter day saints” or ‘new converts’ to whisk the NDC away from it mother group, the PNDC; some of these NDC gurus stoutly believed President Mahama consider them as pariahs, hence their opinions so far as the running of the government is concern, is needless.

And, as if to herald what is in store for the second northern president from within his party from allies and foes in the coming days, certain disturbing statements by prominent folks with jabs at President Mahama, which are soon likely to become permanent features, have been popping up recently.

Feeling crestfallen and deflated with happenings in the current administration, the Head of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the Office of the President, Dr. Tony Aidoo, who hardly comes out to lash his party leaders was forced like a rat being pursued by a raccoon dog to state his reservations about the president’s conduct.

The outspoken big shot of the ruling party openly accused the Mahama administration of starving him of the needed funds to run his office, crying out that his outfit has been rendered near redundant and dormant since the death of President John Atta Mills who created the office.

Also, though a leading member of the Convention Peoples Party, but a government sponsored member of the National Development Planning Commission, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, in an embarrassing revelation said the constitutionally created commission to spearhead the nation’s developmental agenda is broke and cannot function due to its financial difficulties.

Feeding into the “operation One term president” agenda and preparing a smooth sailing of the boat carrying former President Rawlings’ gamut of refined boom speeches, one of Ghana’s foremost broadcasters, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, popularly known as Abeiku Santana of OK Fm, who publicly declared support and actively and devotedly campaigned for President John Mahama in the December 2012 election, in a recent radio interview, punctured the regime he staunchly once defended.

Strangely, Abeiku Santana, overly wishing for a military government and highly praising Rawlings as the only foremost Head of State the country has ever had, said the country needed a more principled person who would instil discipline in government officials.

“I am saying that we are sitting on a time-bomb. There is going to be a social revolution in this country. Now, we all see that the people detest pastors, chiefs and politicians…What organization do all Ghanaians revere? Only the military! So we have to be careful. I am telling you, anybody who knows intelligence would sit up, just look at the trend and analyze,” Mr. Santana stressed.

Before then, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mfantsiman East, now Ekumfi Constituency and Ex-Board Chairman of the Ghana Airport Company, Mr. George Kuntu Blankson, in an apparent and unprecedented reaction to the dissolution of the board by President Mahama is reported to be fuming with rage when he stated ‘as unfortunate the gradual phenomena in the country, where leadership rewards wrong doings whiles those who seek to correct wrongs are punished’.

“In this country, when you speak the truth, you are branded as bad, but the one that does the wrong thing is rather protected. If someone is doing something wrong and you speak against it, that person will be shielded, and you will become the target. We leave everything to God,” he told an Accra based OK FM.

Vociferous media advocate-turned-politician, Ras Mubarak, obviously sharing his frustrations recently posted a simply but pregnant statement on the social media; “Interesting Times”, and followed it up with "2012 campaign thought me a lot; lessons u would never get even in a PhD political science class. The experience is invaluable and I am forever indebted to anyone who helped my campaign in any way. I wish to make way for fresh blood. I would be available to assist whoever emerges as NDC parliamentary candidate for the Ablekuma North Constituency. Long live Ghana.”

Whiles kingpins of President Mahama’s own party are ‘peppering’ him; horrid members of the opposition NPP are also on the side-lines feeding on the words of the NDC top men to deliberately slaughter the president.

Having failed in their attempts to use the militant Let My Vote Count, Young Patriot, Alliance for Accountable Governance and other extremist groups to “topple” the Mahama administration coupled with their unsuccessful attempt at using the court to unseat him, members of the NPP who for eight solid months (January-August) refused to recognize Mahama’s legitimacy as president, now intend using alleged corruption at GYEEDA, issues of judgment debts and recent hike in utility tariffs to cause disaffection for the president.

Political watchers argue that the events that lead to the overthrow of Dr. Hilla Limann are becoming rife with the John Mahama administration, and it would not be too strange when some leading lights in the NDC party involuntarily working in partnership with the rancorous opposition brings President Mahama’s presidency to a premature closure.

The obvious question that arises is that, is it a curse a northerner becoming President, especially, against the backdrop of what Dr. Limann went through? Only time will tell.