“Sitting presidents don’t call for debates, rather it is the opposition which does,” Mahama chides NPP flagbearer
The president, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, on his last campaign stop on Monday, took a swipe at his main challenger for avoiding a series of debates between the two men. He expressed his disappointment at the failure of the New Patriotic Party presidential candidate, Nana Akofu Addo, who he referred to as “Opana” to attend two presidential debates organized by two state institutions.
“Sitting presidents don’t call opposition parties for debates, rather, it is the opposition that calls for a debate,” Mr. Mahama reminded his opponents.
President Mahama said Nana Addo’s failure to attend the National Commission for Civic Education and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation debates shows “Opana” referring to Nana Addo, was lying to the people of Ghana.
Addressing his last rally before the elections, organized by the three Tamale constituencies in conjunction with the Sagnarigu constituency, Mr. Mahama said, Mr. Nana Addo ran away from six other presidential candidates.
The president who spoke in dagbani to the surprise of hundreds of party supporters mocked his main opponent of rather resorting to his own debate on an Accra-based radio station, Peace fm, where he changed his accent, pontificated and touted his own horn.
“Come and slang at the debate so that Ghanaians will know who is telling the truth,” President Mahama threw the challenge. The debate, president Mahama said was the only avenue for Ghanaians to know the truth about several lies being peddled around by opposition parties led by the NPP, but Nana Addo ran away.
“I accepted the invitation to the debate because I wanted Ghanaians to know the truth but I went and Opana was no where to be found,” President Mahama said. “Since the start of our campaign, this is the biggest rally I have seen so far, am grateful to the people of Tamale for your show of love to the party.”
Peace on Election Day
The president urged party supporters to remain calm and desist from engaging in any act of violence on December 7. “Our party stands for peace, we are peace loving people as NDC, our late president was a peaceful man, and I am a son of a peace loving man,” the president said.
He also assured Ghanaians that he will accept the verdict of the people after December elections.
“I have done my best and I leave the rest to the people of Ghana and to the Almighty God and I am happy to leave my destiny onto your hands. I know by God’s grace Ghanaians will renew my mandate to continue serving them.”
According to the president, after building a solid social and economic infrastructure, he will use his next term in office to continue to improve the nation’s infrastructure and also focus on job creation.
“Our opponents know they losing and have adopted a strategy of verifying electoral commission with all manners of accusations, it is clear and every one knows,” President Mahama stated.
Challenges I met as president
President Mahama told the charged party supporters that he met three challenges when he became the president. He mentioned the economy, power crisis and social and economic problems. “We have tackled all in spite of our friends refusal to accept the results of the people in the 2012 elections and for one a year, the whole country was in court,” president explained. “I didn’t cause the power crisis but I took the challenge because l am the president and we fixed it.”
criticisms on economic management
The president didn’t mince words when he refuted claims by the running mate of the NPP Dr Mahamud Bawumia’s that Ghana’s economy is as bad as voodoo economics.
Ghana’s economy, the president said, is the second largest economy in West Africa with 38 billion dollars while Ivory Coast is 32 billion dollars.He therefore urged the electorate to vote for continuity as Ivorians did.
