Do we like them?Do we like John Dramani Mahama?
Our score: 3 out of 10. He has publicly pledged to sign an anti-LGBTQ+ bill, and there's an unresolved row over his brother's mining interests, with some governing and popularity wins on the other side.
Mahama is a Ghanaian political veteran. He was vice president, took over the top job when his predecessor died in 2012, lost power in 2016, then won the 2024 election and returned as president in January 2025. In early 2026 he was out on the world stage urging African countries to build new partnerships and negotiate as a bloc.
The harm check is where this gets ugly. In November 2025 he said that if Parliament passes the anti-LGBTQ+ bill and it reaches him, he will sign it, even allowing for amendments. Parliament passed it again on 29 May 2026, and the law would punish promoting or supporting LGBTQ+ activities with jail time. It is now sitting on his desk.
Here's the wrinkle: he has not signed it yet. Rights groups wrote in March 2026 that he plays a double game, sounding firm at home and softer abroad. Mahama himself has said the bill still has a way to go before it becomes law. A delay is not a stance, though. Until he actually refuses, the pledge to sign is what's on the record.
On the good-person side it's a muddle. In May 2026 a private citizen petitioned Ghana's human rights and administrative justice commission over an alleged conflict of interest around his brother's takeover of the Damang gold mine. Ghana's opposition has also accused his brother of building an outsized mining empire since Mahama returned to power. These are claims from critics and a petitioner, not findings, and Mahama has been dismissing the noise around him.
There's real stuff on the other side. His second State of the Nation address in February 2026 and his vow to crack down on illegal mining, known as galamsey, show he wants to be seen governing for the environment. Deporting foreign miners has been criticised by some locals as lopsided, and his deal to take non-Ghanaian deportees from the US drew fire from a left-leaning group at home. It's a record with real policy, and not a clean one.
So, would we support him? Not while that bill is waiting for his signature and he has said on the record that he'll sign it. If he refuses it, or sends it back, this card changes fast. Until then it is a lean no from a leader who talks a good game on Africa and the planet.