Aliu Mahama: I Give Up on Politics

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama has thrown in the towel and says he is quitting the political ring for good. He told Joy FM he will never return to politics because two terms in office as vice president is good enough for him. Aliu made the declaration at the University of Ghana delegates’ congress of the New Patriotic Party where he lost his bid to lead the party as flagbearer into the 2008 Election. Aliu garnered a paltry 146 votes, representing 6.384 of valid votes cast, while eventual winner, Nana Akufo-Addo had 1096 or 47.965 percent. The Vice President told Joy News’ Evans Mensah that he had expected to perform better than what delegates gave him, and that the results really did not reflect the run of play. “As you know I had 146 votes as has been announced here but I didn’t expect that actually because I had done a lot of work and I thought that truly, that certainly did not reflect the run of play”. Aliu Mahama, even in defeat, was graceful enough to acknowledge the voice of the people and said he would, together with his colleague aspirants, rally behind the eventual winner. “The People have talked, the delegates have talked so we’ll go behind our man, …we’ll all rally behind Nana…” he said shortly before Nana Akufo-Addo was declared winner of the poll. When asked however, if he would make another bid at the presidency, he replied never. “I want to have my cool, go into private life you know...No! No! Never! I won’t, I won’t, as I said, eight years is enough for me.” Aliu, a contractor before venturing into politics, said he would return to business but was yet to decide what business to enter.