Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority and former government spokesperson, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has revisited the intersection of Islam and politics in Ghana, arguing that religious objections raised against some New Patriotic Party (NPP) figures are often politically motivated rather than rooted in genuine Islamic principles.

In the third part of his series titled “The Sacred and the Profane: Thinking Islam and Self-Righteous Indignation in Ghanaian Politics,” Dr. Abdul-Hamid who is vying for the position of National Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) focused on the debate surrounding women’s leadership in Islam and its alleged role in the failure of Alima Mahama to become running mate to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the 2008 elections.

According to him, Nana Akufo-Addo had intended to select Hajia Alima Mahama as his running mate after winning the NPP presidential primary in 2007, believing she represented a balanced ticket due to her gender, northern background, and Muslim faith.

Dr. Abdul-Hamid recounted that Akufo-Addo publicly hinted at the decision during a meeting with party delegates in Walewale, where he personally translated the message into Mampruli for the audience.

However, he claimed that shortly after news of the possible selection spread, some Islamic clerics and groups began opposing the move, arguing that Islam does not support women in leadership positions.

He alleged that some Muslim leaders threatened to mobilise opposition against the NPP if Hajia Alima Mahama was chosen, citing a hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad concerning female leadership.

Dr. Abdul-Hamid argued that the resistance contributed to the eventual decision not to select Hajia Alima Mahama as running mate in 2008.

He further questioned why similar objections were absent during the 2024 elections, when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presented a female running mate while the NPP fielded a Muslim presidential candidate, Mahamudu Bawumia.

According to him, the differing reactions suggest that some religious arguments are strategically deployed for political purposes, particularly to prevent the NPP from gaining stronger support within Muslim communities.

Dr. Abdul-Hamid maintained that Islam’s principles do not change depending on political circumstances and criticised what he described as shifting positions by some clerics and political actors regarding the relationship between religion and politics.