Mahama Recounts Trauma of Father’s Arrest After 1966 Coup: “Recurring Nightmares”
- President John Mahama opened up about some trauma he experienced following the arrest of his father after the 1966 coup
- Mahama's father, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, was a minister in Kwame Nkrumah’s government and was detained after the coup
- Mahama's father also served as a senior presidential adviser during Ghana's Third Republic under Hilla Limann
President John Mahama has opened up about his personal struggles following the detention of his father, Emmanuel Adama Mahama, in the aftermath of Ghana’s 1966 coup.
Mahama shared the emotional account while addressing dignitaries at the opening of the 2026 Judicial Year and the 20th anniversary celebration of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania.
Source: Facebook
In his speech on March 2, while stressing judicial independence and the protection of human rights, he recounted the traumatic impact his father’s detention had on him as a young boy.
“He was detained once and faced the risk twice more, and this fear led to recurring nightmares about him."
“By 1974, Ghana experienced another coup by Colonel I.K Acheampong, and by that time, my father had become a private citizen and was working as a rice farmer and agribusinessman with no involvement in politics.”
Mahama's father was a minister in Kwame Nkrumah’s government and was detained after the coup.
Kwame Nkrumah was Ghana's first president and was at the forefront of Ghana's independence fight.
Mahama's father also served as a senior presidential adviser during Ghana's Third Republic under Hilla Limann.
Source: YEN.com.gh
