An old video of John Dramani Mahama has resurfaced online, showing the moment he recounted what happened when he received the news about the death of the late President John Evans Atta Mills.
In the video, which was sighted on X on March 17, 2026, President Mahama narrated the emotional moment he learned about the passing of Atta Mills.
Recounting the tragic event, Mahama revealed that he broke down and cried after receiving the devastating news that the president had died.
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“If I remember properly, it was about 2:30 pm when I got a call from the Chief of Staff. He asked where I was, and I told him I was just leaving to come and join them at the hospital. He then told me to wait in my office and that there was no need to come because the president had just passed away. This was about 2:30 or shortly before that.
“It was a very sad day. I just collapsed in my chair, broke down, and wept like a baby. It’s not something I like to recall. That same evening, here you are, having to be sworn in as president,” he said.
President Mahama further explained that he had requested that his swearing-in, from Vice President to substantive President, be postponed to the following day, but the request was rejected.
According to him, he consulted the then Speaker of Parliament about moving the ceremony to the next day, but the suggestion was declined on the grounds of the Constitution.
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He explained that, despite his displeasure, he had to pull himself together and undergo the swearing-in ceremony.
“My ADC locked up my office, so I was there by myself, just trying to gather my thoughts. I stayed there for about an hour when the Speaker, the Attorney General, and some other officials came to see me. My ADC called me on the intercom and said they wanted to see me, so I went into the washroom, washed my face, and tried to compose myself.
“They came in and said they had referred to the Constitution and that the swearing-in had to take place immediately. I protested because I thought we could do it the next day. I didn’t see how I could bring myself to go through a ceremony like that after receiving such tragic news. But they insisted and explained that, by the provisions of the Constitution, there could not be a vacuum in leadership,” he added.
Watch the video below:
Quiet sad to watch🥹😌 pic.twitter.com/E4nVu3gVFU
— 0wura🥷🏾 (@Twum_111) March 17, 2026
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