Mahama's visa-free agenda mirrors Nkrumah's pan-African vision – Tanko-Computer

The Deputy Director of Elections and Information Technology for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Rashid Tanko-Computer, has said that President John Dramani Mahama’s push for visa-free travel across Africa reflects a long-standing vision championed by Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah.

According to him, the government’s efforts to promote regional integration and the free movement of people are rooted in the same Pan-African ideals that sought to unite the continent politically and economically.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, April 6, Tanko-Computer described Mahama as a rising global figure, pointing to what he believes is the president’s growing influence on the international stage.

President John Mahama Announces Visa-Free Entry for All Africans Starting May 25, 2026

“You will see that the ideas that Dr Kwame Nkrumah was trying to push, the current president is pushing those ideas. And that is why he’s now become like a global icon. Look at what he achieved in the UN. Unprecedented,” he said.

He further argued that the president’s diplomatic reach is evident in recent developments at the United Nations, where he claimed Mahama successfully rallied significant international support behind a motion he championed.

“For an African leader to go and marshal the Western world, 123 of them, to vote in favour of a motion that he pushed. That one alone tells you that he has the support of most of the African leaders here,” he added.

Tanko-Computer also suggested that President Mahama’s growing stature could translate into a leadership role at the continental level, particularly within the African Union. He claimed that there is strong backing from West African leaders for Mahama to assume the AU chairmanship at an upcoming summit.

In his view, these developments signal that Ghana made the right political decision in the 2024 elections, adding that early signs under the current administration point to positive outcomes.

He also revealed that discussions are ongoing between President Mahama and other African leaders to advance plans for opening up borders across the continent.

NA/JE