Ghanaian musician and former University of Ghana SRC President, Maradona Yeboah Adjei, popularly known as Guru, has shed light on the surprising and intense impact student politics has had on his life.
In a candid interview with Dr. Pounds on Hitz FM on Tuesday, November 18, the rapper explained that stepping into student leadership was a transformative experience he never anticipated.
Guru revealed that the moment he publicly declared his intention to contest for the SRC presidency at the University of Ghana, everything around him shifted dramatically.
“When I declared my intent that I’m vying for the position, since that day, life no turn normal again,” he said. “E be that deep.”
According to the musician, he initially perceived the SRC race as a typical campus-level competition. However, a call he received early into the campaign quickly shattered that notion and opened his eyes to the true scale of student politics.
“I thought it was just a normal student game,” he said. “Somebody called me and said, ‘Don’t see it like that. It’s a big play.’ Then I started seeing things different.”
Guru stressed that many who underestimate student politics simply do not understand the depth of its influence. He explained that campus leadership structures have historically served as breeding grounds for national leadership, shaping many of Ghana’s most powerful personalities.
“If somebody says you exaggerate student politics, they don’t know,” he stated. “The people at parliament, the president, the speaker — them all be student politicians. The things they do there, that be what they learn am for.”
The rapper went on to describe his experience as SRC President as intense, high-pressure, and filled with behind-the-scenes dynamics that most people never see. The enormity of the responsibilities, he said, could easily serve as material for a documentary.
“As you win am… yeah, I think I have to do a whole documentary,” he said. “Because the way people dey see student politics, it no be students. Remove the ‘student’ from it because it’s proper politics.”
Guru’s perspective highlights how student elections often mirror national-level politics — with strategy, influence, alliances, pressure, and powerful external interests shaping outcomes. His experience, he noted, offered firsthand insight into Ghana’s broader political machinery.
He even suggested that Ghana could consider establishing a clear leadership pipeline from the university to national politics, allowing SRC presidents to transition directly into national roles.
“I wish say they will establish an MP role — like whoever wins SRC becomes an MP,” Guru said, emphasizing the leadership potential student politics cultivates.
Despite his deep insight into the political ecosystem, Guru remains cautious about fully venturing into mainstream politics after school. While he once aspired to work with the United Nations, his experience within the walls of Legon has taught him that politics in real life comes with high stakes and requires serious reflection.
“Politics as in real life — what I see for Legon — no, I have to think about them,” he admitted. “If I go venture, I have to think twice about it.”
Guru’s revelations open a rare window into the unseen power, pressure, and intricate dynamics behind student elections — a space many dismiss as small or insignificant. His story reinforces that student politics is far more than just campus activities; it is a foundational training ground that has shaped some of Ghana’s most influential leaders.
