Martin Amidu, a former Attorney-General and well-known advocate for anti-corruption and accountability, has voiced his disappointment with President John Dramani Mahama’s government. He says some of the developments under the current administration have left him embarrassed about campaigning for Mahama’s return to office.
According to Amidu, he supported Mahama’s bid to become president again because he expected the former president to have gained important lessons from his first administration. He also considered Mahama’s previous electoral defeat significant, as he became the first Ghanaian president to lose an attempt at re-election after completing a four-year term.
“I campaigned for John Dramani Mahama to win the elections because I believed he had learnt his lessons,” Amidu explained.
The former Attorney-General, however, says events since Mahama returned to power have fallen short of what he expected. He raised concerns about what he considers partisan behaviour in the handling of political matters, alleging that government allies are being shielded while opponents face investigations and legal action.
Amidu believes this approach has undermined the reasons he gave his support to Mahama during the election campaign.
“The ongoing partisan developments of protecting party members and going after political adversaries are not vindicating me; they put me to shame,” he said.
His statement has brought fresh attention to the expectations surrounding Mahama’s political comeback and the wider debate about fairness, transparency and accountability in Ghanaian governance.
Amidu has for many years spoken publicly about corruption, constitutional governance and the need for public officials to be held accountable. While he has been associated with the NDC, his views on governance have sometimes been critical of political leaders and decisions regardless of party affiliation.
Mahama eventually returned to the presidency after defeating the NPP’s presidential candidate, making his comeback to the highest office in the country following his earlier tenure.
Amidu’s latest comments suggest that he believed Mahama’s earlier political defeat would have influenced him to adopt a different style of leadership if given another opportunity to govern.
The former Attorney-General’s criticism is likely to contribute to the continuing national discussion about political accountability and whether allies and opponents of the government are being treated equally under the law.
