President John Dramani Mahama drew laughter during a stop on his two-day Bono Regional Thank You Tour when he joked about the source of Local Government Minister Mahama Ayariga's improving Twi, according to Yen News. The exchange took place on Saturday, September 10, 2026, during the regional visit.
Ayariga, who serves as Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and is the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, had already set up the moment himself. Speaking before the President took the floor, the minister told the crowd he had been challenged to address them in Twi and used the opportunity to speak light-heartedly about how far he had come since marrying Millicent Yeboah Amankwah, the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West.
When Mahama rose to speak, he picked up the thread. Yen News reports that the President acknowledged the minister's attempt to speak the language, then credited the improvement to his wife's teaching methods, drawing what the outlet described as warm reactions from those gathered.
Why it matters
The exchange was a small moment on a regional tour, but it reflects how Mahama has used humour to engage audiences during his thank-you visits. Yen News reported that the relaxed tone of the event also served to highlight ties between Ghana's different ethnic communities, with the President mixing jokes into a programme built around appreciation for regional support.
The tour itself is part of the President's post-election engagement with the regions, and the Bono stop followed that pattern of public appearances where local language, local leaders and informal banter feature prominently.
Ayariga's Twi and a marriage across regions
Ayariga's own remarks before the President spoke are central to how the joke landed. According to Yen News, the Bawku Central MP admitted he had been challenged to deliver part of his address in Twi, a language he has been working on. He tied his progress to his marriage to Millicent Yeboah Amankwah, who represents Sunyani West in Parliament.
That detail gives the moment a personal dimension. Ayariga's constituency sits in the Upper East Region, while his wife's seat is in the Bono Region, and the couple's marriage has coincided with his visible efforts to speak Twi more confidently in public settings. The minister chose to make that progress part of his own speech rather than waiting for anyone else to raise it, which is what allowed the President to build on it.
Agbodza drawn into the joke
Mahama did not limit the teasing to Ayariga. Yen News reports that the President turned to the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, and offered him a direct piece of advice on how to master Twi. The outlet did not detail the wording of that suggestion, but described it as part of the same humorous thread running through the President's remarks.
The crowd's response, according to Yen News, was warm throughout, reinforcing the informal character of the Bono Regional Thank You Tour. The President's decision to single out two ministers in the same address kept the audience engaged and gave the event a lighter tone than a standard political rally.
What to watch
Mahama's thank-you tour continues to move through the regions, and further stops are expected to produce similar informal exchanges between the President and the ministers travelling with him.
