The statement captioned 'Fake Alert' by Mr Mahama on Twitter claimed that he had heeded to a resounding call to contest as a candidate to lead the NDC ahead of the 2020 general elections.

The opposition party on August 2 opened campaigning for its flagbearer hopefuls. The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah announced that the date for the election of the flagbearer of the party is December 7 and urged all aspirants to inform the party of their intention to contest.

Six persons including, Dr Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Prof Joshua Alabi and Sylvester Mensah have informed the party of their intention to contest but Mr Mahama is yet to officially announce his decision.

"Declaring for the declarant?' Mr Mahama quizzed about his purported statement.

Mahama won’t run in 2020 — Family

It will be recalled that in the aftermath of the NDC's loss to the New Patriotic Party in the 2016 elections, the family of the then incumbent President (Mahama) said he had agreed not to contest the 2020 primaries.

The former President Mahama’s younger brother and Chief Executive Officer of Engineers and Planners, Mr Ibrahim Mahama, said the former President’s family had been advising him not to contest the NDC primary to select a candidate for 2020, adding: “He (former President Mahama) agreed with us.”

“John has given his all in politics to the NDC and Ghana and we think it is just fair that we allow him to rest. We were very supportive and instrumental in convincing him to partner the late Prof. J.E.A. Mills, and when the time came for him to contest for President, we supported him and advised him to go for it…Now we have advised him not to make a comeback in 2020,” he said.