President John Dramani Mahama has shared a personal account of a period of homelessness he experienced after losing the 2016 general elections, revealing the challenges he and his wife faced in securing accommodation following his exit from office.
President Mahama made the disclosure during a community engagement at Chain Homes.
According to him, the experience aligns with lessons about perseverance during difficult times, noting that moments of hardship do not necessarily mean abandonment by God.
Recounting events after the electoral defeat, President Mahama explained that although state arrangements were expected to provide accommodation for a former president, circumstances at the time left him and his wife temporarily without a place to live.
He said the couple had previously built a modest house but it was unsuitable for hosting dignitaries and had already been rented out to tenants, making it impractical to reclaim immediately.
“We lost the elections. We thought the world had come to an end and the agreement was that, as former president, the state would provide accommodation for you.
“We were a young couple, we had built a house, but it was some small old house. You couldn’t host any head of state in that house.
“And besides, we had rented it out. So, there were some Chinese living in it and then we lost the election. You couldn’t go and tell them to get out of your house and then you come and stay there.
“So, we were homeless and I said, OK, Lodina, no problem. Let’s find somewhere and rent. So, we got a place near Kawukudi, the gold house, there somewhere and they agreed, went and looked at it,” he said.
President Mahama said they attempted to rent several properties around Accra, including areas near Kawkudi and Airport Hills but repeatedly faced rejection. In some instances, landlords reportedly withdrew offers after realizing the prospective tenant was the former president who had just lost an election.
He revealed that in one case, rent was accepted and a receipt issued, only for the landlords to later return the money and decline to rent the property once his identity became known.
President Mahama breaks silence over alleged ownership of Chain Homes Estate
“It was OK, not anything imposing but it was livable and considering that we were homeless we were prepared to take anything and so we went there. Lordina went there, I didn’t go there and she went and negotiated everything and all that.
“They said, yeah, the house is available. So, Lordina said, well, John, come, let me show you where we’ve got. So, I went there.
“So, for the first time, they realized that, ah, it’s the former president who just lost the election who is coming to stay here. Oh, the next day, they said, eh, you see it’s a company accommodation. One of our general managers is coming from abroad. And actually, he’s coming to live there. “
Mahama tells his story about how he became homeless after losing the 2016 election. pic.twitter.com/NlvDC1by8X
— Ghana Chronicles (@_GhChronicles) December 23, 2025
AM
Also, watch below Amnesty International’s ‘Protect the Protest’ documentary as the world marks International Human Rights Day 2025
The wait is over! The GhanaWeb Excellence Awards 2025 is officially launched. Let’s Celebrate impact, innovation and excellence across Ghana.
Who deserves to be honoured this year?
Nominate now 👉 https://ghanaweb.com/ghanaexcellenceawards/nominate
