Aliu Mahama

Who was Aliu Mahama?

Alhaji Aliu Mahama was a Ghanaian politician, quantity surveyor, civil engineer and contractor who was Vice-President of Ghana from 7 January 2001 to 7 January 2009. He sought the New Patriotic Party's nomination for the 2008 presidential election, but at the party's convention in December 2007, he was unsuccessful having obtained only 6% or 146 votes of total delegate ballot cast. He retired from politics after his tenure as the deputy Ghanaian leader. He was Ghana's first Muslim Vice-President.

There were rumours of his death on 14 November 2012 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital but the story was quickly denied the same day by his family and hospital authorities. He eventually died at the same hospital on 16 November 2012 at the age of 66 from a heart-related condition and complications from a stroke. He died almost 4 months after Ghanaian President John Atta Mills died. A state funeral, attended by hundreds, was held for him on 18 November 2012 per Islamic funeral prayer rites at the Independence Square in the Ghanaian capital, Accra In addition, he was accorded ceremonial military honours including an army procession accompanying the cortège and a 19-gun salute usually given to departed Vice-Presidents. His body was later flown in a Ghana Air Force jet to Tamale in the Northern Region for burial at his private residence.