John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticised the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), asserting that their policies have become “exhausted” and that they lack innovative solutions to meet the needs of Ghanaians. Addressing supporters at a campaign rally in the Central Region on Friday, Mahama pointed to recent actions and promises made by the NPP’s flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, as evidence of the party’s lack of fresh ideas.
Mahama particularly questioned Bawumia’s commitment to changing policies that were implemented under his own administration, saying, “What they will do is what they have already done,” suggesting that the NPP’s strategies are repetitive and inadequate for addressing the country’s pressing issues. Mahama also referenced President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s recent unveiling of a statue of himself in Takoradi, describing the act as “self-praise.”
He argued that the monument was a symbolic gesture that failed to address the real development needs of the region. Expanding on this critique, Mahama said, “Someone [Bawumia] claims, ‘My government is in power, but when my government comes, I will change what the current government is doing and introduce something new.’”
This remark highlighted what he sees as a contradiction in Bawumia’s promises of future progress while working within a government that Mahama believes has not delivered. The NDC flagbearer emphasized that the upcoming elections present an opportunity for Ghanaians to choose new, effective leadership rather than what he characterized as the repetitive policies of the current administration.
“Try and error normally leads to failure. That’s how Akufo-Addo came and pleaded to be tested, and that is our failure today. But does he care? He recently went to Takoradi and unveiled it himself. Every president needs to be humble. People should extol and honour you, not the other way around, by building a statue and unveiling it. Have you heard that before?”
“It’s not about going to universities and asking them to grant you an honorary doctorate while you are still in office. He has visited all the universities and received honorary doctorates,” he said.
By: Abigail Arthur
