‘It is not for me to judge, it is for the MPs to debate’ – Mahama reacts to 2023 SoNA

Former president John Dramani Mahama gave his reaction to the State of the Nationa (SoNA) address delivered by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Mahama refused to give a verdict or pass any extensive comment on the address in an interview with Accra-based TV3, minutes after the president ended his presentation.

He stressed rather that the major issues will be the subject of debate by Members of Parliament (MPs) in the coming weeks.

Asked whether what President Akufo-Addo delivered reflected the real state of affairs in the country, Mahama responded: “It is for the MPs to debate. The president has fulfilled his constitutional obligation, you might not agree on all the points but he has done what he is expected to do. The rest of the debate is left to the Members of Parliament.”

Pushed further on the issue of language and diction used by Akufo-Addo and whether it sufficiently appealed to the conscience of the people, he answered “It is not for me to judge, I think in the debate it will all come out.”

Mahama was one of two former presidents who attended the 2023 SoNA, the other being President John Agyekum Kufuor.

In his address, Akufo-Addo spoke about progress the government has made in the areas of infrastructure, economic management and fight against corruption.