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Claim: An X user @mista_plasmah alleged that there was a blackout during a church service attended by Ghana’s President, John Mahama, to mark the 60th birthday of the country’s Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s checks revealed that there was no blackout, as alleged, and that the localised “dumsor” during the service was not a blackout. Also, there was no point in the video the X user shared where the entire auditorium was plunged into darkness.
Full Text
An X user @mista_plasmah has alleged that there was a blackout during a church service attended by Ghana’s President, John Mahama, to mark the 60th birthday of the country’s Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah.
The Thanksgiving service held on April 26, 2026, at the PIWC Pentecost Church, Trasacco Branch in Accra, was attended by the President and other senior government officials. It was themed “A Thanksgiving Service in Honour of a Life of Impact.”
A few hours after the celebration, an X user claimed there was a localised blackout, dubbed “dumsor,” during the church service.
“The church [President] Mahama went today [April 26, 2026] experienced a Dumsor while they were dancing,” he posted.
The X post was accompanied by a short video clip of President Mahama and Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, dancing to a gospel tune, in the auditorium.
The post comes at a time when parts of Ghana, including Accra and Kumasi, are experiencing intermittent power outages that can last for hours.
Commenting on the post, an X user, @Qwesibeng, said:
“If you don’t know how protocols work, you would be spewing nonsense like this. Do you know what goes into power stability planning when the president is at a location?”
Another X user, @Emmanue88135534, called out the post’s originator, calling him a liar.
“You are lying. I church there, and PIWC has been using the plant because of some power problems there,” he said.
Data from the social media platform shows that, as of April 28, 2026, the post had garnered more than 297,800 views, 171 comments, 429 reposts, 7,700 likes, and 545 bookmarks.
DUBAWA decided to investigate the claim because of its significant engagement and widespread circulation on the platform.
Verification
DUBAWA’s verification found that no blackout, locally referred to as “dumsor,” occurred during the service, contrary to the claim.
The post’s originator alleged that the video he posted showed the auditorium was plunged into darkness during the event.
When quizzed to point to the minute of the video when the lights went out, he replied, “Watch the video. Very well, bro.”
However, DUBAWA’s analysis of the video showed that at no point did the entire auditorium lose power.
This conclusion is further supported by the musicians’ uninterrupted performance, which continued to entertain attendees throughout the event, including John Dramani Mahama and Eric Kwabena Nyamekye.
Given the significant public attention surrounding recent power outages in Ghana, such an incident would almost certainly have attracted widespread media coverage.
However, DUBAWA’s Google Search found no credible reports from any reputable Ghanaian media outlet about the alleged blackout.
Conclusion
The claim that a blackout occurred during Julius Debrah’s 60th birthday Thanksgiving service, which was attended by John Dramani Mahama, is false.
