2016 Polls: I never wanted to hang onto power - Mahama breaks silence

Former President John Mahama has broken his silence on the controversy after the Asantehene’s UN speech, stressing that he had not the slightest intention to cling onto power after his loss in the 2016 presidential election.

He argues that the inference made by some media houses that he was seeking to unconstitutionally hang onto power was completely wrong. And this misleading assertion is what Mr Julius Debrah sought to correct.

“Clearly Mr Julius Debrah’s statement was intended to simply clarify that I never had the slightest intention of seeking to hang onto power unconstitutionally, as some media houses sought to infer from Otumfuo’s speech at the UN,” he wrote a social media post.

The former President also stated that he never sought to downplay the efforts of Otumfuo to promote national peace and unity, adding that he finds the language and commentary on the matter disturbing.

He goes on further to state that he has profound respect for the Asantehene and will not allow the controversy to mar their longstanding cordial relationship, promising to “take the necessary steps to bring closure to this matter.”

In a speech at the UN, the Asantehene at stated that he had to persuade the losing candidate to concede defeat. This generated a lot of controversy leading the office of the former President John Mahama to issue a press release signed by former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah that John Mahama did not have to be persuaded. Government then condemned the statement from the Office of the Former President which seemed to suggest that the Asantehene may have been untruthful.