President John Mahama of Ghana has clarified the reasons behind his visit to President Bola Tinubu on Thursday at the State House, Abuja.
Speaking to journalists, President Mahama stated that his visit was primarily to express gratitude to President Tinubu for honouring him with his presence during his swearing-in ceremony. Additionally, he said the visit was an opportunity to update Tinubu on ongoing diplomatic engagements with the military leaders of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. These efforts, he noted, are focused on promoting regional security and stability.
This marks President Mahama’s first official visit to the Presidential Villa since his inauguration on January 7, 2025.
Commenting on the visit, President Tinubu expressed his pleasure at hosting Mahama. He said, “I feel good that he is here in the first place. I am indeed very happy with the efforts he has made to have a bridge between the AES countries and the ECOWAS.
“It’s not a bad idea for us because of the security situation in the Sahel region and what economic opportunity that we must embark to ensure security of lives and prosperity of our citizens,” Tinubu stated.
When asked about the significance of his visit, President Mahama elaborated: “I came to thank him for the honour done me during my inauguration.
“But also to brief him on the visits to the Sahelian countries – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – and to bring him up to date with some of the issues and to discuss with him.
“As ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) chairman, it’s my duty to come and brief him on some of the concerns that were raised there, so that we continue to dialogue with those other countries.
“It’s a complicated situation and it’s not as easy as we think. We just need to continue to dialogue and see how we can continue to dialogue together.”
