The special aide to former President John Dramani Mahama and lawyer, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, says a Ghanaians misunderstood the ex-president during his administration largely because of his persona.

As the right-hand woman to John Mahama, she is of the view that he is calm and well-cultured; hence, people see him as weak and inefficient.

Speaking in an interview on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning, she said, "I think that one of the things that people probably didn’t understand, and I’m saying this for the very first time, is his persona. He’s a very calm individual, soft-spoken, and so maybe sometimes when you’re like that, people turn to think that you’re very laid-back."

Joyce Mogtari indicated that some people disliked his personality due to the fact that everyone has different perceptions about the behaviour of political leaders.

She further added that his upbringing and educational background can also be considered reasons for his calm nature, since he studied communications and public relations.

Being a lawyer and John Mahama’s special aide, she has helped to protect him in many ways after the NDC’s loss in the 2016 elections, which he really needed.

Her closeness to the NDC flagbearer for the 2024 elections, she said, granted her the chance to do some introspection concerning the history he stood on during his regime, which the majority of the populace was ignorant about.

"… I built a certain inner strength; I’ve developed some boldness tools in this space... And I think in many ways, I’ve also helped to protect John Mahama in a way that I think he needed at that time."

Having worked with John Mahama for many years, she believes he has contributed well to the betterment of Ghana and is capable of doing more if given another opportunity in 2024.