The 2024 presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has issued an apology to the chiefs and people of Ehi in the Ketu North District, following a misunderstanding during his recent campaign tour in the Volta Region.
The former president expressed regret for any inconvenience caused after reports emerged that he had bypassed the community despite their expectations of a visit.
Addressing journalists on the final day of his four-day tour, Mahama clarified that Ehi was not on his official itinerary.
He acknowledged the situation may have stemmed from poor communication, possibly due to someone organizing a meeting with the local chiefs without properly coordinating with his campaign team.
“I want to clarify that meeting the chiefs and people of Ehi was not part of our planned engagements during the Ketu North District tour,” Mahama explained. “It seems arrangements may have been made without our team’s knowledge, leading to this unfortunate incident.”
Mahama further emphasized that he holds traditional leaders in high esteem and would never intentionally disregard them. “I deeply regret any disappointment this may have caused to the people of Ehi and their revered chiefs. It was never my intention to disrespect our traditional leaders,” he stated.
The NDC flagbearer also urged the public to ignore misleading videos and rumours circulating on social media, which falsely suggested that he deliberately avoided the Ehi community.
“These rumours are not accurate. I assure everyone that there was no intentional disregard, and we remain committed to engaging with every community,” he reiterated.
Mahama’s tour of the Volta Region has seen numerous engagements with various stakeholders as he rallies support ahead of the 2024 general elections.
In closing, he pledged to ensure better coordination with local leaders on future visits to prevent similar misunderstandings.