When speaking to guests in Accra's Black Star Square on January 7, 2025, freshly sworn President John Dramani Mahama made an unforeseen linguistic blunder.

Mahama mispronounced Nigerian President Bola Tinubu as "Your Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, president of the Federal Republic of Ghana" while praising the dignitaries' presence, according to MyNewsGH.

Many people made fun of the confusion on websites like X. One user joked, "Looks like Mahama is ready to swap presidents."

Some jokingly proposed that Ghana might profit from a short-term change of leadership, demonstrating the lighthearted friendship between the two nations.

Notwithstanding the mishap, the incident demonstrated the long-standing goodwill between Ghana and Nigeria.


The two nations have historically shared strong diplomatic and economic relations, often working together to address regional challenges.

Mahama's return to the presidency, following his loss in the 2017 election, his previous tenure was characterized by efforts to strengthen Ghana’s economy and its ties with neighboring countries.

Among the reactions online, some Nigerians shared lighthearted comments. One user, referring to the relationship between the two nations, said, "Ghana is just like the 38th state of Nigeria."

Another added, “Ghanaians should please take him awayyyy,” expressing playful dismay at the slip.