As the 2024 general elections approaches, Ghanaians have a major decision to make between the NDC’s former president John Dramani Mahama and the NPP’s Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. The choice of Ghanaians should be based on logics rather than emotions and affiliations, this is the only way Ghana can achieve development and economic growth.

Albert Einstein once said “Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience. You need experience to gain wisdom”. This underscores the importance of experience in leadership such as the presidency.

Former president John Dramani Mahama has a vast flurry of experience as a politician. He has held several positions on the political ladder. Unlike to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, John Mahama will be a man of his own if elected whiles Dr. Bawumia will be subjected to the influences and machinations of his political god-fathers as a result of his inexperience, he will therefore not be able to make independent and informed decisions.

The experience of John Mahama which he gained both in and out of office as President and a former President would enhance his leadership capabilities if re-elected. Despite his numerous achievements, the former president might have made some mistakes during his presidency, but it is obvious that he will reflect on those and this will ultimately make his second term far much better than the first term.

“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. The NDC flagbearer rightly stressed that, "I have been president before, and I had the experience. There is no school where you go and pay school fees, enroll, and say, I want to learn how to be president. You have to learn on the job. Luckily for me, I got the experience of working with a very good, honest, and one of the best presidents we have had in Ghana, Professor John Evans Atta Mills. As president, we did some things well; we built a lot of infrastructure. We provided health facilities in many districts and regions. We provided educational facilities,”

It is refreshing to hear the former president acknowledge some of his shortfalls during his presidency, and state that, given the opportunity, he would have approached certain issues differently.

Mr. Mahama added that, “Not everybody gets that opportunity that you become president; you go out of office and you get the opportunity to come back again, and so I know that in the four years coming, I will be a much better president than even when I was president. This statement is pregnant with humility and candour.

Fellow countrymen, John Mahama is absolutely right in making these pronouncements, because of the experiences he has acquired as a president between 2012 and 2016, he also has an opportunity to reflect on his period of time as a president.

Whiles John Mahama will have the freedom and independence of mind to formulate his cabinet based on his convictions and experience, and omit those whose performances were not satisfactorily during his presidency, Dr. Bawumia will not have such independence and freedom to formulate his cabinet; his choices of cabinet members will certainly be influenced by his political god-fathers. John Dramani Mahama has no political god-father, he is a man of his own.

Moreover, Dr. Bawumia will be a puppet president if elected, because he will be compelled to succumb to the dictates of those who put him at the presidency as a result of his lack of experience and his poor political background. H.E. John Mahama is certainly beyond this shackle of manipulations and influence, because of his political background and vast experience.

Ghana needs a leader with experience and independent mind, rather than a novice who will be controlled and manipulated by a particular group of people to do their biddings.