President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to bow and kneel to greet the Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jewu Soale I, at the 2026 Hogbetsotso Festival has sparked mixed reactions on social media.
A video of the encounter at the festival’s grand durbar in Anloga, Volta Region, shows the President bowing and briefly kneeling as the traditional ruler arrives at the event, where he was the Special Guest of Honour.
The gesture has reopened discussions about respect for traditional authority, cultural values and the expectations surrounding presidential protocol, with social media users offering different interpretations of the moment.
Some praised Mahama’s action as a demonstration of humility, while others used the footage to make political comparisons and jokes.
One X user, Piloloo (@Piloloo4), brought former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo into the discussion, writing: “Nana Addo would have asked the Overlord to rather get up eiii🤣🤣”.
Trader-Kofi (@LAmppiah), on the other hand, praised Mahama, describing him as a leader who had taught Ghanaians humility.
“That’s my guy @jdm he’s thought us if nothing but Humility. Can’t stop loving him each day. Chai!!! HUMANITY FIRST!” the user wrote.
Other users focused on details in the footage. Joshua Armah (@thewatchtower27) asked whether others had noticed the President flinching when a gun was fired.
The reactions were not entirely positive. Agona Confidential (@AgonaConfil8) described the President as a “Hypocrite”, while another user, HUMANITY FIRST! (@Ancestormb2t), jokingly suggested that there was something supernatural about the gathering.
Mahama’s Previous Comments on Presidential Greetings to Chiefs
The latest encounter has also brought renewed attention to Mahama’s previous comments about how traditional leaders should be treated when receiving the President.
In April 2024, then-National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer Mahama criticised Akufo-Addo over videos showing the former President asking chiefs to stand to greet him during public engagements.
Mahama described the reported insistence that chiefs stand as a matter of serious concern, arguing that the conduct raised questions about respect for traditional authorities.
“His recent insistence that chiefs stand up to greet him should be a matter of serious consternation for political watchers,” Mahama said in a statement at the time.
The controversy also attracted a response from the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, which defended the practice. The Ministry explained that asking chiefs to stand at public events was intended to reflect customary respect for authority and the constitutional precedence accorded to the President, rather than undermine the dignity of traditional rulers.
In January 2025, Mahama himself became the subject of a similar social media discussion after a video showed him asking chiefs to remain seated as he approached them to exchange greetings during his Thank You Tour in the Volta Region.
The encounter, which took place at Jubilee Park in Ho, attracted mixed reactions. Some users praised the President for showing consideration for the chiefs, while others questioned the attention given to what they considered a normal gesture of courtesy.
The latest video from Hogbetsotso presents a different interaction, with Mahama bowing and kneeling to greet the Yagbonwura. It has once again placed the question of how respect should be expressed between the President and traditional authorities at the centre of online discussions.
Gonja and Anlo Traditional Areas Share Historical Ties
Beyond the reactions, the encounter also carries significance because of the historical relationship between the Gonja and Anlo traditional areas.
The Yagbonwura attended this year’s Hogbetsotso grand durbar following an invitation from the Anlo traditional leadership, which has sought to strengthen the longstanding ties between the two kingdoms.
Mahama has previously spoken about his personal connection to Gonjaland. When he received the Yagbonwura at the Presidency in July 2025, he described himself as a proud son of Gonjaland and said he felt a “profound personal connection” to the visit.
He also described the engagement as a reaffirmation of the unity and shared destiny between their people.
The President’s gesture at Hogbetsotso has therefore generated discussion beyond the moment captured in the video, bringing together questions about cultural respect, traditional authority and the relationship between Ghana’s political leadership and its traditional institutions.
