I listened with an extreme amazement and puzzled countenance the 2020 flagbearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ex-President Mahama’s assertion during his recent visit to the Brong East Region that it was God who made Ghanaians chose NPP over NDC in the 2016 general elections in order to differentiate between ‘good and bad’.

Notwithstanding our divergent political and religious views, the notion of Jehovah God’s divine providence or control in a system which depends mainly on universal adult suffrage (the will of the people), so to speak, poses tough questions.

If you would recall, prior to the NDC’s 2019 flagbearership race, Ex-President Mahama claimed somewhat spuriously that he is vying for the slot because he owes God a duty to redeem the suffering Ghanaians from economic bondage under the Akufo-Addo’s administration (emphasis mine).

The all-important question every discerning Ghanaian should be asking then is: did the redeemer Mahama manage to redeem the poor and disadvantaged Ghanaians from the extreme economic bondage in the eight years of NDC’s administration?

In recent times, I have been listening and reading, albeit with extreme bewilderment to former President Mahama and the NDC loyalists sophistic argument that the NPP government has messed the economy in barely 30 months in office, and therefore will most likely return to the Jubilee House in 2020 by the grace of God.

Let us face it, it is blasphemous for the NDC faithful to keep hiding behind the biblical invocations and put words in Allah’s mouth. But should we be surprised? No.

After all, in Ghana today, all sort of people, ranging from the so-called Men of God to politicians, have made it a habit of hiding behind the Holy Book (Bible), and shamefully proselytising and hoodwinking unsuspecting truth seekers.

The pretentious have succeeded in proselytizing and fleecing unsuspecting truth seekers, who regrettably, only want adulterated, more 'palatable' forms of Truth, watered down and compromised for convenience.

In the same vein, the political manipulators would often seek refuge in the Holy Book and try to manipulate a section of the voting public into accepting that it is God who predestines someone like President Mahama to lead Ghana.

Of course, the political manipulators will always succeed in brainwashing some gullible truth-seekers in accepting such balderdash.

Well, let us even agree that it was God who appointed Mahama to steer the affairs of the nation. But is the same God going to allow the people of Ghana to suffer again under the insensitive, corrupt and incompetent NDC government so soon?

It would thus appear that former President Mahama is refusing to acknowledge the fact that his calamitous errors in judgement amid rampant corruption, untold economic hardships and business crippling dumsor largely contributed to his 2016 humiliating election defeat.

How can Mahama blame God for his rejection by discerning Ghanaians, when his sibling Ibrahim Mahama took advantage of his presidency and blatantly refused to pay import taxes to the tune of over GH12 million?

Why must Mahama blame Jehovah God over his historic defeat when he egregiously gave away 58% of Ghana’s bauxite to his sibling Ibrahim Mahama to the utter disgust of discerning Ghanaians?

How could former President Mahama carelessly give apologists like Madam Akua Donkor of Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) two four wheel drive cars and a luxury bungalow (estimated to cost a staggering $470,000) for no work done, and then turn around and blame God for his historic election defeat?

So does Ex-President Mahama think Ghanaians suffer from chronic memory loss and he can keep taking everyone else for granted?

If we were to accept the isolated thinker’s biblical narratives that it is God who ordains every leader, then, we may infer for example, that the late Saddam Hussein of Iraq was enstooled by God. And what was his fate following his perceived shenanigans? Wasn’t he brought down to his knees by God?

And, did the Omnipresent God also ordain leaders like Milosevic of Serbia, Charles Taylor of Liberia, Daddy Iddi Amin of Uganda, Mengistu of Ethiopia, Neto of Angola, Najibullah of Afghanistan, who brought nothing but socio-economic anguish to their citizens as it happened in President Mahama’s administration?

If those leaders were ordained by God to lead their respective nations, then they failed woefully and were dethroned by God accordingly.

As election 2020 draws closer, discerning Ghanaians must take solace and rest assured that although Jehovah God is in control, we are not merely to rest in Jehovah God’s divine providence, but to briskly exhibit His character in the choices we make.

In sum, political leaders may emerge under Jehovah God’s providence, but in so far as we consciously or unconsciously pick them, we will be held responsible for whether they meet with His approval or not.

In ending, former President Mahama must stop blaming Jehovah God for his humiliating 2016 election defeat, and, should rather blame himself for his terrible errors in decision-making which brought about massive economic mess.

K. Badu, UK.

k.badu2011@gmail.com