The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has said he works with any president elected by Ghanaians and is currently advising President John Dramani Mahama, reiterating what he described as his non-partisan role in national governance.
Speaking to members of the Ghanaian community in Toronto on Saturday, the traditional ruler said his engagement with political leaders is guided solely by the will of the electorate, not party affiliation.
“My conviction is that any government elected by the people of Ghana, I have to work with the President and offer him my advice on the quiet,” he said.
“I work with whoever Ghanaians elect as President; I am now working with Mahama.”
The Asantehene said his advisory relationship with Ghana’s heads of state dates back to 1999, when he began engaging then-President Jerry John Rawlings.
He said he has since worked with successive administrations, including those of John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and Mahama in his previous term, as well as the current government.
He stressed that his counsel is offered privately and without public confrontation.
“Those who will listen, do listen; those who don’t listen, they don’t listen,” he said. “But I won’t say it in public that a president didn’t listen to my advice.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II also addressed perceptions of political alignment, saying his cross-party engagement often leads to him being labelled differently depending on the political climate in Ghana.
“Sometimes they would brand me as NDC, the next time they would say I am NPP,” he said. “And in all, I say, I like it and would even add that I am CPP. I do this to ensure there’s peace in Ghana.”
The remarks drew applause from the diaspora audience, many of whom gathered for a cultural and community engagement event during his visit to Canada.
The Asantehene is in Toronto as part of broader engagements focused on trade, investment, green energy cooperation, and strengthening ties with the Ghanaian diaspora.
He urged Ghanaians abroad to remain connected to national development efforts, describing Ghana as open to business, tourism, and international collaboration.
