President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that it took the personal intervention of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to convince him to accept the role of running mate to the late President John Evans Atta Mills ahead of the 2008 general elections.
Speaking on Monday, June 2, during a courtesy call at the Jubilee House by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and a delegation of eminent chiefs, Mahama recounted the pivotal moment that changed the course of his political journey.
“There’s a very special one. The first time Prof. Mills sent Baffoe Bonnie, blessed memory, and a team to come and tell me that he wanted me to be his running mate. And at that time I admit my plans to leave politics, so my response was no, I won’t do it.”
He added that late Prof. Mills made further attempts, sending senior party figures including Totobi Quakyi, and Kwamina Ahwoi to persuade him. “Again, I said no,” Mahama said.
However, everything changed when he received a call inviting him to meet with the Asantehene.
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“I got a call saying Otumfuo wanted to see me. Who am I to refuse? So I went. When I got there, he said, ‘And so one day I was in Accra, I got a call, and he says, Otumfuo wants to see you, Who am I to refuse? So I got up and went. And when I went, he said, ‘hey, are you the one refusing Prof. Mill’s request to he bis vice president, you lie bad, you’ll do it!’”
Mahama recalled Otumfuo’s powerful message about national duty: “He says, ‘when your country calls you, you can’t refuse. He says, I was sitting in London somewhere, and my kingdom called me to come and serve, you think I don’t want to enjoy the free life, I had to do it, so you cannot refuse.’”
The president said Otumfuo informed him that he would soon meet with President Mills and expected a positive response upon his return to Accra.
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“So he said, okay, I’m going to set up, I’m going to meet President Mills. When I come to Accra, I want your response, because I promised him I would bring your response. When Otumfuo makes a request, who are you to refuse? The rest is history. And so it was instrumental in me becoming President Mills running mate, and of course we went on to win that election, and everything else is history.”
He expressed deep gratitude to the Asantehene: “So Your Majesty, thank you very much, and I appreciate your friendship.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
