John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of Ghana’s National Democratic Congress (NDC), has responded to criticism from his rival, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), following remarks Mahama made about hypocrisy in Ghana.
Mahama asserts that his comments were a straightforward critique rather than an insult.
In a Monday campaign speech delivered at Shai Osodoku, Mahama addressed the controversy, asserting that he merely highlighted the detrimental effects of hypocrisy on the nation.
“I said that hypocrisy is one of the things drawing our nation back, and I hear my opponent describing it as an insult.
When you have done such harm to this country, and you go, and they praise you, is it not hypocrisy?” Mahama said. “If I say that, have I insulted anybody? I haven’t insulted anybody.”
The dispute arose after Dr Bawumia criticized Mahama’s language during his campaign tour.
Bawumia had urged that the electoral discourse focus on ideas rather than insults, reflecting his frustration with Mahama’s recent critiques of various societal figures, including clergy, traditional leaders, and civil society organizations (CSOs).
According to Bawumia, Mahama’s comments suggest a desperate reaction to potential electoral defeat.
Mahama’s remarks, delivered during a campaign event in Okaikwei North on Sunday, September 15, included accusations that some leaders were hypocritically praising the current administration despite its perceived failures. “We must come together and tell the government their time is up.
They have underperformed, but you will find some chiefs, pastors, traditional leaders, and Muslim leaders congratulating them on an excellent job done,” Mahama said.
“You want to win with this kind of bad governance?”
In response, Bawumia criticized Mahama for allegedly resorting to insults and attacking various societal leaders. “He’s realized he is about to lose miserably, so everything angers him.
I have heard him insulting the clergy, traditional leaders, Imams, and CSOs,” Bawumia remarked. “We must have at least some standards of decency in the language we speak as politicians.
The elections are not about insults; they are about ideas. It is when you have no ideas that you insult people.”
The ongoing exchange highlights the heightened tensions and contentious rhetoric characterizing Ghana’s political landscape as the 2024 general elections approach.
