GhanaWeb Feature

Politicians are known to get very personal and sometimes, way too much, in their attempts at scoring points, particularly if those moves will gain them some political clouts.

The trend has existed for as long as politicking has been in the world, and that is what has translated into how opposing sympathisers of political parties find it ok to accuse their compatriots on the other sides of the divide of so many things.

From name-calling to wild allegations, the examples abound.

John Dramani Mahama, who served as Ghana’s president from July 2012 to January 2016, is a man who has been named many things, including being described as a drunkard.

Only last week, a former Minister of Works and Housing, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea, caused a stir in the media when he insinuated that the former president is a drunkard.

Speaking at a well-attended rally at Akyem Asafo, in his constituency, the MP urged Ghanaians to vote for a "wise leader who is not a drunkard;” a comment which went viral and sparked prolonged, mixed reactions within the political circles, and from Ghanaians on social media.

As was expected, the media variously reported on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) demanding an apology from Atta Akyea, claiming that his "drunkard" insinuation referred to their flagbearer, John Mahama. The youth wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) also waded into the controversy and defended Atta Akyea's insinuations.

But now, the big questions remain; Is Mahama really a drunkard as insinuated? Was Atta Akyea's comment the first time such insinuating comments of Mahama being a drunk have been made? What was the origin of this claim, which has now gained ground in the political circles of both NDC and NPP?

GhanaWeb goes down memory lane to recollect times such allegations were levelled against Mahama.

2015 – Joe Wise

In November 2015, the MP for Bekwai, Joseph Osei Owusu, popularly known as Joe Wise, made a startling claim on Oman FM when he said President John Dramani Mahama was a drunkard.

Mahama had accused the then NPP Minority Members of Parliament of sleeping on their jobs, if they indeed did not know what his (Mahama's) government had used all the loans it had secured for.

According to Mahama, every loan his government had taken went through Parliament, so the MPs, if they had not been sleeping, should have known what the loans were used for.

Responding on Oman FM, Joe Wise said, as published by Ken City Media, that Mahama made those comments because he's a drunkard.

The Bekwai MP said many of Mahama's allies had been disclosing his drinking habits, and that he was not surprised the former president made the kind of comments about the MPs.

Asked whether he had ever shared alcohol with President Mahama, he responded in the negative, but was quick to add that “a lot of people know about this. There are people he drinks with who can testify about this.”

2016 – Mahama addicted to alcohol; can’t speak without whisky – Hopeson Adorye

In 2016, Hopeson Adorye launched a scathing attack on former President Mahama when he made a startling claim that Mahama was a drunkard.

Speaking at an NPP campaign platform at Osiem in the Eastern Region, Adorye made the bold claim that Mahama had become addicted to alcohol so much that he even drank during working hours.

"Now the man has turned drunkard," he said, continuing by making reference to a small flask Mahama holds in public.

"John Mahama goes everywhere with a small flask which is filled with whisky. If he doesn't drink, he is unable to speak," he stated.

Hopeson Adorye also added that the dark glasses Mahama wears in public are to cover his "reddish eye" from his intake of alcohol. The media widely reported Adorye's claim.

2020 – Kennedy Agyapong calls Mahama a heavy drunkard

After President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government caused what is now known as the Banking Sector Cleanup, John Dramani Mahama accused the president of wizardry.

Campaigning in his hometown in the Assin Central Constituency ahead of the 2020 elections, Kennedy Agyapong responded fiercely to this, saying Mahama's outbursts against Akufo-Addo were influenced by his usual alcohol intake.

The fiery MP said Mahama was a regular consumer of alcohol, which he said was impairing his thought process.

“Mahama is never able to stand and be alert unless he takes in some alcohol,” he said while on a campaign platform.

Subsequent to this, Kennedy Agyapong is on record to have, on a number of occasions, referred to Mahama as a notorious drunkard.

In various radio interviews available online, firebrand legislator, Kennedy Agyapong, continued his accusations of John Mahama being a drunkard when he was analysing the NPP's Guarantor Free Student Loan for tertiary students.

"Can Mahama stop drinking akpeteshie to come up with such a visionary policy? All he does is to get drunk and go to M Plaza," Kennedy Agyapong said in an interview, responding to Mahama's criticism of the policy and the Akufo-Addo government.

Mahama missed pages of his ECOWAS speech because he was drunk – Abronye

Contributing to a political programme on Movement TV in the run-up to the NPP presidential primaries, Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kwabena Baffoe Abronye, said the NPP will not elect a leader who will "get drunk and disgrace the country like former President Mahama did at an ECOWAS meeting when he could not see that some pages of his speech were missing."

That comment was in reference to a shocking incident in 2015. The former President was in the middle of delivering an address to ECOWAS Heads of State in Accra when he suddenly stopped and said some pages of his speech were missing.

The gaffe became a topical issue both in Ghana and in the international media.

On the programme, Abronye accused Mahama of intoxication, hence not realising that some pages of his speech were missing.

"How could someone with a clear mind not realise that pages of speech he was going to deliver at such an important function were missing? He was heavily drunk so he did not realise that the pages were missing," Abronye added.

2022 – Chairman Wontumi wades in with the 'mystery flask’

In an interview on Wontumi FM in 2022 to respond to criticisms by former President John Dramani Mahama that the Akufo-Addo government has no records of infrastructure to show, Chairman Wontumi said Mahama's claims should be dismissed as he doesn't see the numerous projects in town because "he is always drunk."

He added "Have you not seen that Mahama is always carrying a small flask? That flask contains alcoholic drinks, so, he's always drunk. How can a drunk person see what is going on in the country? If he stops drinking, he will see what the government has done?"

2023 – Drunkard accusations from within the NDC

In the build-up to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential primaries between John Mahama and Dr. Kwabena Duffuor in 2023, a letter which was leaked and published widely in the media, and purporting to have come from Dr. Duffuor's camp, urged NDC delegates not to choose a leader who is a drunkard.

The letter, was widely interpreted to be a veiled allegation that Mahama is a drunk and should not be voted for by the NDC delegates.

Dr. Duffuor's camp, however, denied authoring the letter, but its effects had already gone viral.

April 2024 – Maurice Ampaw sings for Mahama

In April 2024, lawyer and broadcaster, Maurice Ampaw, insinuated that Mahama has been getting drunk through excessive intake of alcohol.

On his weekly programme on Wontumi FM, the controversial lawyer composed his own version of Kofi Kinata's hit song, "Awurade be gye steer no" by rather singing that the "steer,” meant the NDC flagbearer-ship, should be taken from Mahama because he is drunk.

Everybody knows I don’t drink alcohol – Akufo-Addo

During the presentation of the State of the Nation Address to Parliament by President Akufo-Addo, he passed a comment in response to the Minority NDC, which many interpreted to mean an insinuation against former President Mahama.

During his address, President Akufo-Addo paused to sip water from a glass of water. The Minority roared in response, in a manner suggesting the president might have taken some liquor.

However, the president swiftly responded, boldly insinuating that "Everyone who knows me knows I don't drink alcohol."

Curiously, the live television feed showed former President Mahama, who was in the parliamentary chamber for the address at the same time.

The president’s comment and the display of Mahama's picture right after the comment, sparked social media buzz that President Akufo-Addo's insinuation, was aimed at Mahama.

TWI NEWS

2024 – Atta Akyea accuses Mahama of being a drunkard

The latest allegation of drunkenness was made by Samuel Atta Akyea last week in his constituency.

Addressing a crowd in the Eastern Region, Samuel Atta Akyea encouraged Ghanaians to remain optimistic about the prospects of excellent governance under Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's leadership.

"Ghana is fortunate to have an economist who is composed, knowledgeable, and abstains from alcohol. We are truly blessed. Ghana is on the verge of having a president with wisdom, a leader who is astute and refrains from drinking alcohol," he said.

The NDC condemned him for the utterance in a press statement signed by General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey.