A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has described President John Dramani Mahama as possibly the most prepared President in Ghana’s history.
According to him, President Mahama’s long political journey—from local government to the highest office—has equipped him with the experience needed to succeed in his current term.
The President has been an Assemblyman, a Member of Parliament, a Minister, Vice President, President for a first term, and spent eight years in opposition before getting another chance in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on Accra-based Asaase Radio on Monday, June 16, the lawyer and political strategist noted that Mahama’s second chance presents an opportunity to correct past mistakes.
“The current president is probably the most prepared president that we’ve had, in a sense that from Assemblyman all the way to where he is, Vice President being president, you’ve gone to opposition you’ve seen eight years about who your real friends are.
“You’ve seen the things you did wrong. You’ve seen the opportunities you missed. Now you’ve been given another opportunity—and hopefully, that comes with the wisdom to do better,” he stated.
Gabby also touched on the expectations of the youth, especially regarding Mahama’s flagship 24-hour economy promise.
“At the end of the day, the youth are unforgiving. They want jobs. They voted for you because they believe in your promise of a 24-hour economy. In this era of social media, everything the government does is overexposed and exaggerated. But the real goal is to create space for people to pursue their aspirations,” he explained.
He added that while government must create the enabling environment, the youth also have a responsibility to work hard.
“If the government does its part by creating opportunities, then the youth must also rise to the challenge and focus on hard work. They must look beyond leaving Ghana. Opportunities are here on this continent,” he said.
