John Mahama: The veteran taking a second shot at Ghana's presidency

Mahama's colourful story involves a historic coup, a stay in Moscow and a surprise dancehall hit.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersThe former president seeking to lead Ghana once moreGetty ImagesJohn Mahama is not only a seasoned politician, but a prolific writer tooJohn Dramani Mahama has been Ghana's president once before - and now he is back for another punt at the top job.

The 65-year-old led Ghana from 2012 to 2017 and is one of the West African country's most experienced politicians. He has served at all levels of office, as an MP, deputy minister, minister, vice-president and president.

Long before it became a career, politics played a significant role in Mahama's childhood. When Mahama was just seven, his father, a government minister, was jailed during a military coup and later went into exile.

Personal trials like this appear in Mahama's acclaimed writing - he has been published by a number of international news outlets and his memoir, My First Coup D'etat, won praise from two African literary greats, Ngugi wa Thiong'o and Chinua Achebe.

When penning his manifesto for this year's elections, Mahama told voters Ghana "is headed in the wrong direction and needs to be rescued".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3wpzw2ed1go

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