Former Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, narrated how the role he played in the 2016 election campaign helped Akufo-Addo become President
Former vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has described the crucial part he played in Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s election as Ghana’s president in 2016.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer for 2024 claimed that he and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lost the 2016 election because he insulted John Mahama at the time.
Speaking to a few delegates prior to the NPP presidential primary, Dr. Bawumia stated that he requested permission from Akufo-Addo to lead the 2016 campaign.
He claimed that the NDC attacked him from every direction because of his harsh criticism of the Mahama-led government and his label of President Mahama as “incompetent.”
“In 2016, I pleaded with Nana Akufo-Addo to take a back seat, so could face John Mahama. He listened and made me take the front seat. That was when I told John Mahama he was incompetent. John Mahama got upset. He did not like the ‘incompetent’ tag. So, he also faced me squarely. While John Mahama focused on me, Nana Akufo-Addo paid attention to his campaign. Then Nana Akufo-Addo won the election.”
Dr Bawumia described the 2016 campaign as a heated one, which made him an enemy to the NDC.. “Because of this, the NDC doesn’t like me. They begin to insult me immediately they hear my name.”
