A British media report has described President John Dramani Mahama as a “socialist and a Soviet sympathizer,” suggesting that his past ties to Russia influence his political ideology and foreign policy leanings.
The claims were made by Mat Whatley, Managing Director at Okapi Train, in an article published by the Telegraph, a leading British conservative newspaper, titled “Why is Britain funding Ghana’s Leftist, Russia-sympathizing government?”
In the article, Whatley questioned the rationale behind Britain’s continued financial and developmental support to Ghana, arguing that the Mahama administration has adopted a leftist, anti-democratic posture while maintaining ideological and symbolic ties to Russia.
“This approach should come as no surprise from a leader who is both a socialist and a Soviet sympathizer,” Whatley wrote, referring to Mahama’s governance style and policy orientation since assuming office for a second non-consecutive term in January.
He pointed to Mahama’s personal and educational history in Russia as part of the basis for the claim, noting that the Ghanaian leader’s autobiography, My First Coup d’état, “is partly set in Russia, a country where he studied and, by his own account, found quite agreeable.”
Whatley further highlighted that Mahama “even took time out of last year’s election campaign to launch the book’s Russian edition in Moscow,” an action he argued reflects the President’s continued warmth toward Russia despite its growing tensions with the West.
“Mahama even took time out of last year’s election campaign to launch the book’s Russian edition in Moscow. Since returning to the presidency, he has made his mark on international affairs by penning an opinion article in The Guardian attacking Elon Musk and Donald Trump over South Africa,” the report stated.
According to the Telegraph article, these actions and associations underline Mahama’s “Leftist and Russia-sympathizing posture,” which Whatley said should concern Britain and its policymakers as they seek to deepen post-Brexit relations with African partners.
He argued that supporting Ghana under Mahama poses strategic and moral dilemmas for the United Kingdom, given what he described as the President’s “Far-Leftward, anti-democratic turn” and ideological alignment with Moscow.
“Ghana under Mahama is a bad port of call for Britain’s global re-engagement policy,” Whatley added, urging British authorities to reconsider their lending commitments and export credit guarantees to the West African country.
