Journalist Paul Adom-Otchere has credited Chief of Staff Dr Julius Debrah with playing a pivotal role in President John Dramani Mahama’s political comeback after his defeat in the 2016 general elections.
According to him, Dr Debrah was instrumental in persuading the former president to reconsider his decision not to seek another presidential term, insisting that his political career was far from over.
Speaking about the relationship between the two men, Mr Adom-Otchere said it was initially difficult to convince Mr Mahama to return to the presidential race following his defeat in the 2016 elections, in which he lost by approximately one million votes.
He noted that the defeat was particularly significant because Mr Mahama became the first sitting president under Ghana’s Fourth Republic to lose a re-election bid.
Mr Adom-Otchere said the magnitude of the defeat had created doubts about the former president’s political future, with indications at the time that he was not interested in contesting the presidency again.
He cited a January 2017 front-page publication by the Daily Graphic, which reportedly carried the headline, “John Mahama is not running for president again, says Ibrahim Mahama,” as evidence of the thinking surrounding the former president’s political future at the time.
However, Mr Adom-Otchere attributed Mr Mahama’s eventual return to the presidential race to the determination of Julius Debrah, who, he said, believed the former president still had a future in Ghanaian politics.
According to the journalist, Dr Debrah worked behind the scenes in 2017, mobilising support, resources and political networks to ensure Mr Mahama secured the NDC presidential candidature ahead of the 2020 general elections.
He argued that the outcome of the 2020 elections subsequently restored confidence within the NDC and renewed Mr Mahama’s belief that he could return to the presidency.
Mr Adom-Otchere also pointed to the certainty surrounding Julius Debrah’s appointment as Chief of Staff following Mr Mahama’s victory in the 2024 general elections.
He said while there were extensive media discussions and speculation over who would occupy key government positions, including the Finance Ministry, Attorney-General’s Department and Majority Leadership, there was little uncertainty about who would become Chief of Staff.
According to him, several names were being considered for other influential positions, but Mr Debrah’s appointment was widely regarded as settled because of his longstanding relationship with the president.
He explained that the confidence surrounding the appointment reflected the depth of the political relationship and trust Dr Debrah had built with Mr Mahama over the years.
