In response to recent speculations regarding his potential candidacy as the running mate on John Mahama’s ticket for the 2024 elections, renowned business mogul Sir Sam Jonah reaffirmed his previous stance of declining political positions.
He revealed that during the Jerry John Rawlings administration, he had been approached twice to serve as running mate and subsequently Vice President, but he turned down those offers.
In a statement made to Metro TV’s ‘Good Evening Ghana,’ Sir Sam Jonah emphasized his unwavering commitment to his business ventures and reiterated his lack of interest in entering the complex and unpredictable realm of politics.
“As a matter of fact, if I was interested, I would have been Vice President in 1992 and 1996 when I was offered the position on a silver platter,” he explained.
In his biography authored by AA Taylor, the confirmation of approaches made to Sir Sam Jonah and his subsequent rejection were documented.
Paul Adom-Otchere, on his Good Evening Ghana show, shared excerpts from the book that shed light on the efforts made by Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the late J.J. Rawlings’s wife and a relative of Sir Sam Jonah, to persuade him to be her husband’s running mate in the 1992 elections.
According to the narrative presented by Adom-Otchere, J.J. Rawlings faced significant pressure from prominent members of the National Democratic Congress, including the Ahwoi brothers, who advocated for Ekow Nkensen Akaah to be selected as Rawlings’s vice presidential candidate.
While Rawlings was not entirely opposed to Akaah, he harbored doubts about his competence and abilities.
The book reveals that Rawlings initially considered Sir Sam Jonah as his top choice, as he possessed qualities that aligned with the upcoming elections. Sir Sam Jonah was seen as a figure who could bridge the divide between Rawlings and the business and elite class, which had been highly critical of his administration.
Additionally, due to Sir Sam Jonah’s Akan background, it was believed that he would secure votes from the Akan communities.
However, Nana Konadu’s charge to pair her relative with her husband for the 1992 elections did not work as Sir Sam Jonah turned down the proposal.
According to the narrative, Sir Sam Jonah communicated his decision to his sister, Nana Konadu via phone but the then first lady did not take it kindly.
After a lengthy conversation, Nana Konadu in quite an unhappy tone told Sir Sam Jonah “Kwesi, I’m very disappointed. An invitation to the second highest position of the land and you treat it so casually? You don’t even reflect on it?”.
The story continues that Sir Sam Jonah, sensing that Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings was unhappy with his decision, tried to calm things down by saying “I only put it you like this because you are my sister but when you speak to the chief, I know as my sister, you will put him differently.”
Nana Konadu was, per the excerpt of the book, still not happy with the decision by Sir Sam Jonah and how it was communicated to her.
Adom-Otchere went to recount other happenings between Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings and Sir Sam Jonah over the issue.
He stated, “Those who know me well can attest to the fact that I have absolutely no inclination to venture into the murky world of politics.”
“As a matter of fact, if I was interested, I would have been Vice President in 1992 and 1996 when I was offered the position on a silver platter,” he explained.