President John Mahama was magnanimous towards his successor, Nana Akufo-Addo when he gave his inaugural speech as the sixth President of Ghana’s fourth republic.
Following a period of animosity as Mahama campaigned for power, he was full of kind words for the man who he said had wrecked the country and sunk it into an abyss.
During his inauguration speech, Mahama called Akufo-Addo a worthy opponent.
“He has always greeted me with warmth, a firm handshake, and a smile, and he is perhaps the only person in my life who has persistently chosen to call me Johnnie. While we belong to opposing political parties, we shared a sense of mutual respect.”
“Nana, as this will be our final meeting under these circumstances, and as I look back on the journey we have travelled together, two much younger men who entered parliament together, with my full head of black hair and you with the same bald head and round eyeglasses, I have to say that you have without exception been a worthy opponent.”
