President-elect John Dramani Mahama's spokesman, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, has denied rumours that the president-elect and Dr. Callistus Abukari Mahama are related.

Bawah Mogtari made it clear in a Facebook post on December 12, 2024, that John Mahama is not related to Dr. Callistus Mahama. She wrote: "Dr. Callistus Abukari Mahama is not related to HE John Dramani Mahama, the president-elect! Please take note.

She responded further in the post's comments area, calling claims made by well-known NPP member Nii Ayikoi Otoo inaccurate and deceptive and criticising them. "It is unfair and wrong that the big man in the NPP has told us a lie to the entire world," she said. It has to be fixed.

This clarification came after Ayikoi Otoo claimed in an interview that Dr. Callistus Mahama and John Mahama were related, pointing to the latter's appointment as secretary and part of the president-elect's transition team. Because of their similar last names, there was conjecture around Dr. Callistus Mahama's appointment when John Mahama revealed his transition team on December 10, 2024.

Since then, Bawah Mogtari has refuted these theories, highlighting the lack of a family relationship. She emphasised the importance of correcting misleading narratives, particularly when they distort the truth.

Under the previous Mahama administration, Dr. Callistus Mahama, a distinguished academic and public administrator, was the Head of the Local Government Service.

Bawah Mogtari claims that his selection is based only on his credentials and work history, not on any personal connections to the president-elect.