Mahama Stole My Heart – DKB

Popular Ghanaian stand-up comedian, Derick Kobina Bonney, known professionally as DKB, has revealed that he was once groomed to become a staunch member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) but was later won over by President John Dramani Mahama after a personal encounter.

DKB made this revelation during an interview on U-Cook with Empress Gifty. He said former MUSIGA President Obour introduced him to the NPP and influenced his early political direction.

“I was actually groomed to be NPP by Obour. Yeah, I was groomed to be NPP,” he stated.

According to DKB, his political interest grew after he worked on a campaign idea for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. He said he came up with what he described as a beautiful suggestion for Dr. Bawumia’s campaign. However, he did not receive the response he expected.

“There was a project I did, a beautiful suggestion for Dr. Bawumia’s campaign, but the feedback I was looking for, I wasn’t getting it. So I said, ‘I won’t do any politics again,” he explained.

DKB said he later changed his position after he had a personal encounter with President John Dramani Mahama.

He recalled that in 2015, he joined the #DumsorMustStop vigil. The protest aimed to draw attention to Ghana’s power crisis at the time, widely known as “dumsor,” during Mahama’s administration.

Later that same year, DKB performed at an event attended by President Mahama and the Ethiopian Prime Minister. After his performance, he decided to take a photo with the President.

He said one of his friends questioned his decision.

“My friend asked me, ‘You demonstrated against him and you want to take a picture?’ I said ‘yes.’ I was expecting JM to be rude…

But when I approached him, he said, ‘Hey DKB. I said, ‘Yes Sir.’

“Then he said, ‘You know your name? If we remove the B and put M, that’s DKM. Meaning people will chase you for their money.”

DKB recounted.

The President’s joke referred to DKM Finance, a microfinance company that had collapsed around that time. The collapse left many customers unable to access their money for years.

“I burst out laughing. I couldn’t believe the President had just told me a joke,” DKB said.

He noted that the exchange significantly changed his perception of Mahama.

According to the comedian, that moment piqued his interest in Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), eventually leading him to become a full-fledged supporter of the party in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.