President Mahama Signals Chiefs To Sit While Greeting Them, Video Goes Viral: “He’s a Good Soul”

• A video of President John Dramani Mahama telling chiefs to sit while he walked to greet them has gone viral
• Several Ghanaians on social media compared President Mahama's action to that of his predecessor, Nana Akufo-Addo
• Many applauded him for showing the chiefs the needed respect, while others accused him of being a people pleaser

President John Dramani Mahama asked chiefs to remain seated while he exchanged pleasantries with them.

The President met some chiefs in the Greater Accra region at the Ghanata Old School Park in Doodowa during his 'Thank You' tour on Friday, May 16, 2025.

When he was getting closer to them so he could greet them, the chiefs started rising from their seats. However, John Mahama signalled them to sit down so he would greet them.

The video has got many talking and comparing President Mahama to his predecessor, ex-president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

During his tenure, Nana Akufo-Addo was captured ordering chiefs to stand up and greet him. Ghanaians at the time were not happy with his action and condemned it.

At the time, the then 2024 presidential candidate of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, expressed concern about Akufo-Addo's insistence that chiefs stand to greet him.

He added that Akufo-Addo’s attitude as his governance came to an end was rather worrying and needed to be a matter of serious concern to political watchers.

Watch the video below:

Ghanaians applaud President Mahama for respecting chiefs

YEN.com.gh collated some reactions to the video shared by @eddie_wrt on X. Read them below:

@AbdulRaufIbra20 said:

“And what's so big deal about this? You guys are making it look like he's a Saint for asking them to do so.”

@Nanaezze wrote:

“Some Pharaoh I once knew him sef be the short type of Pharaoh some would have raised their hands from afar for the Chiefs to rise like the Sunrise before he slaps their palm with a Handshake with an instruction for them to greet him 😏. President Mahama is a good soul.”

SENYO@Senyyo said:

“Bring Nana Addo, let's vote against him again 😠.”

@jb_agbowada wrote:

“Though if they had sat down, Mahama wouldn’t have ordered them to stand, Prez Mahama has learnt from Akufo Addo. If that incident of the past president hadn’t happened, I think Mahama would have accepted them standing without necessarily telling them to sit. He really learned from it.”

@Kmainoostan said:

“When Nana is receiving guests at the jubilee house, he stands up to greet them. This is just courtesy. You stand up to welcome visitors to your home. NDC politicised this, so Mahama has to be telling them to sit down. It’s so awkward.”

@4_teen_01 wrote:

“JDM really solve Pasco Wey e Barb am correct.”

President Mahama drops update on Veep’s health

YEN.com.gh reported that President John Dramani Mahama provided an update on the health condition of the Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.

On May 16, 2025, President Mahama said the Vice President had recovered fully from her health emergency after undergoing medical treatment abroad.

He also added that Prof Opoku-Agyemang was expected to return to Ghana and resume her duties soon.

Source: YEN.com.gh