While President John Dramani Mahama was likely busy with actual governance, hackers seized control of his X account for a full 48 hours beginning March 17, 2025.
The digital hijackers wasted no time, immediately promoting a cryptocurrency called “Solana Africa” to his 2.4 million followers. Nice audience size for a scam, right?
The fraudsters positioned their scheme as a presidential initiative, claiming Mahama was spearheading a financial revolution across Africa. Free payments! Revolutionary solutions! All lies.
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) didn’t catch wind of the breach until early Monday, by which time countless followers had already seen the posts.
This isn’t just some random account getting hacked. It’s the Ghanaian President. The incident has sparked serious national security concerns—turns out two-factor authentication isn’t the digital fortress we were promised.
Experts are now calling for 24/7 surveillance of high-profile accounts. Because apparently even presidents need babysitters for their social media. The public expressed significant concern about the security breach and its implications for digital trust.
The hackers chose Solana blockchain as their bait for good reason. Created in 2017 by Anatoli Yakovenko, Solana has gained legitimate traction in Africa due to its lower transaction fees compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Scammers love riding on actual credibility. Works every time.
Mahama isn’t alone in this embarrassment. South African opposition leader Julius Malema’s account was hacked in July 2023, and Nigerian businessman Tony Elumelu suffered a similar fate in 2022.
Africa’s booming crypto market is like catnip for fraudsters.
The phony initiative claimed to be a groundbreaking platform that would revolutionize digital payments across the entire African continent. The scammers likely promised stable value similar to fiat-backed stablecoins, exploiting the growing popularity of cryptocurrency stability in emerging markets.
The CSA is now investigating alongside X and other stakeholders. The President has confirmed his account is back under control and urged the public to disregard any suspicious crypto posts.
Too late for some, probably.
The incident serves as yet another reminder that anyone can be hacked. Even presidents. Especially presidents. Cyber criminals don’t discriminate—they just follow the followers.
