Alhaji Aliu Mahama was a Ghanaian engineer and politician who served as Vice President of Ghana from January 2001 to January 2009 under the New Patriotic Party. He holds the distinction of being Ghana’s first Muslim Vice President.
Born on 3 March 1946, he was of Dagomba ethnicity and attended Government Secondary School in Tamale, where he completed both his Ordinary and Advanced Level certificates. He later studied at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, earning a B.Sc. in Building Technology in 1971.
He also pursued further studies at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, earning certificates in Project Planning and Management, and in Leadership.
Aliu Mahama began his career at the State Construction Corporation in Bolgatanga in 1972. He rose through the ranks, working in Koforidua and later becoming the Regional Manager for the Northern Region in Tamale.
In 1982, he founded his own construction firm, LIDRA Limited, and served as its managing director. He also chaired the Northern Regional Contractors Association from 1996 until the 2000 elections.
His public service included roles as a Councilor on the Yendi District Council, Assemblyman on the Tamale Municipal Assembly, and Chairman of the Economic Development Committee of the Tamale-Louisville Sister State Committee.
He served on the boards of several secondary schools in the Northern Region and was also a founding member and board member of Real Tamale United Football Club.
Aliu Mahama was married to Hajia Ramatu Mahama. Their son, Farouk Aliu Mahama, currently serves as Member of Parliament for Yendi and is board chair of the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Corporation.
After completing two terms as Vice President, he sought to lead the NPP into the 2008 elections but lost the party’s nomination, securing only 6% of the votes at the party convention. He then retired from active politics.
Aliu Mahama passed away on 16 November 2012 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital after suffering a heart-related condition and complications from a stroke.
A state funeral was held on 18 November 2012 at Independence Square in Accra. He was accorded Islamic rites and military honours, including a 19-gun salute. His body was flown to Tamale for burial at his private residence in Kalpohin. His wife, Ramatu Mahama, was later buried beside him.
