Former president of Ghana John Mahama has started his presidential campaign in an effort to retake the country’s top office in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for 2024.

Mr Mahama, who served as Ghana’s president from 2012 to 2017, attempted to return to office three times, losing the last two elections to current President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Mr Mahama’s campaign got underway on Thursday just as Ghana’s continues to battle the worst economic crisis that hit the country in recent years.

The former president claimed that the current administration has failed Ghanaians, arguing that Ghana’s current circumstances call for a leader with his caliber of experience.

“Ghana needs experience and not experiment. Ghana needs a leader who will hit the ground running on 7 January 2025,” said Mahama. “Ghana needs a leader who will not be given an orientation and excursion through the Flagstaff House – the seat of government. Ghana used to be the shining light on the continent of Africa and I am of the strongest conviction that we can attain those heights again. I believe it and we’ll lead by example,” Mr Mahama said.

“This government has been clueless, and in many ways callous. The unthinkable has happened and our country today is broken on all fronts,” said Mahama. “Ghana is bankrupt. We are saddled with debts we simply cannot pay. We’ve suffered global humiliation of defaulting on our debts and being downgraded by all credit rating agencies to the lowest level ever seen in our history,” he added.

Ghanaians will vote to choose a new president and National Assembly leaders in 2024.

With a January annual inflation rate of 53.6 percent, Ghana is currently experiencing its worst economic and financial crisis in decades.

Ghana recently asked the International Monetary Fund for a $3 billion relief package to help the economy recover due to the high cost of living and fuel in the West African nation.