Mahama, Rawlings, absent from 63rd independence parade in Kumasi

Former President John Dramani Mahama was conspicuously absent at the 63rd Independence Day celebrations held at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in the Ashanti Region.

Mr. Mahama’s absence comes days after the Majority leader of Parliament, Kyei Mensa-Bonsu, chided him for failing to show up at the State of the Nation’s Address last month.

‘Its unfortunate’: Majority Leader lashes out at Mahama for failing to attend Akufo-Addo’s SONA

Another high-ranking personality who was absent from the 63rd anniversary celebrations was former president, Jerry John Rawlings.

Jerry Rawlings is the founder of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Mr Mahama is the flagbearer of the party for the upcoming 2020 polls.

The reasons for their inability to join President Nana Akufo-Addo to mark the important event on the country’s calendar are not immediately known.

It is the first time the annual parade has been held in the Ashanti Region, and the second time it has been organized outside the capital, Accra. Last year, the event came off at Tamale in the Northern Region.

In the 2020 edition of the celebration, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Christopher Rowley, visited as the guest of honour.

Other guests present included former President John Agyekum Kufuor; Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; Speaker of Parliament Aaron Mike Oquaye; and Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

This is not the first time Mr Mahama has missed a state function. He avoided the recent State of the Nation (SoNA) address in Parliament on February 2020 as his party’s MPs boycotted proceedings.

Mr Rawlings and former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, however, participated.