Former Ghana leader John Mahama launches 2024 campaign

Ghana incumbent president, John Dramani Mahama gesture to his supporters during a presidential election rally at Accra Sports Stadium in Accra, Ghana, December 5, 2016. [AP photo]

Former Ghanaian president John Mahama launched his campaign Thursday to recapture the post he held from 2012 to 2017.

Mahama has run for Ghana's highest office three times, losing in the last two elections to current President Nana Akufo-Addo. Mahama's campaign begins as Ghana's struggling economy is the country's top concern.

The atmosphere was filled with the blaring sounds of vuvuzelas amid drumming and dancing, as hundreds of supporters of the former president packed themselves into the auditorium in the Volta Region, a stronghold of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.

Dressed in an all-white outfit - a color that signifies victory in Ghana - John Mahama argued that Ghana's current situation requires a leader with experience like him.

"Ghana needs experience and not experiment. Ghana needs a leader who will hit the ground running on 7 January 2025," said Mahama. "Ghana needs a leader who will not be given an orientation and excursion through the Flagstaff House - the seat of government. Ghana used to be the shining light on the continent of Africa and I am of the strongest conviction that we can attain those heights again. I believe it and we'll lead by example."

Mahama said the current government has failed Ghanaians, leading to the current economic hardship in the West African country.

"This government has been clueless, and in many ways callous. The unthinkable has happened and our country today is broken on all fronts," said Mahama. "Ghana is bankrupt. We are saddled with debts we simply cannot pay. We've suffered global humiliation of defaulting on our debts and being downgraded by all credit rating agencies to the lowest level ever seen in our history."

Ghana is facing its worst economic and financial crisis in decades, with an annual inflation rate of 53.6 percent in January.

The cost of living and fuel prices are high in the West African country and Ghana recently applied to the International Monetary Fund for a $3 billion relief package to help revive the economy.

Speaking to VOA News, Peter Mac Manu, a former national chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the 2020 campaign manager of President Akufo-Addo, said the 64-year-old Mahama has nothing new to offer Ghanaians.

Mahama is not bringing anything new into the elections. We know how he ran the affairs of this country when he had the opportunity," said Mac Manu. "His record is nothing to write home about. So, nobody is scared of Mahama at all. If we get the economy right, and I believe we will get it right, then Mahama is no force."

Kwame Asah-Asante, the director of the Center for European Studies at the University of Ghana, told VOA the opposition NDC is in a better position to return to power with Mahama as its flagbearer.

"NDC has a brighter chance, especially with Mahama... Mahama stands tall in terms of experience, record that he has left in this country and in terms of popularity," said Asah-Asante. "These three things will go a long way to strengthen his chances of winning the flagbearership... Mahama has the ideas because he has seen it before, he has experience and he has done it before."

On May 13th, NDC leaders will meet to elect their standard bearer ahead of the 2024 elections. Mahama will be contesting three others including a former finance minister and governor of the central bank, Kwabena Duffuor.

The general election is still more than 20 months away, on December 7th, 2024.