NPP, NDC in blame game over Bawumia’s accident

But in a swift rebuttal, the NDC has described the allegation as the figment of “mediocre minds and jokers who are pretending to be leaders of an otherwise respectable political party”.

The General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, who made the accusation at a press conference in Accra yesterday, noted that even the actions of the government after the accident lent credence to the suspicion that it had a hand in the accident and challenged President Mahama to come clean on the matter.

Last Sunday, Dr Bawumia, in the company of his aide, Mr Kwabena Boadu; his bodyguard, referred to only as Tanko, and his driver, Emmanuel, were travelling to the Ashanti Region when they were involved in an accident on the Bole-Bamboi road.

It occurred when two of the car’s tyres exploded 15 minutes into the journey and Dr Bawumia had to be flown to Accra where he was attended to at a private hospital.

Adducing reasons to support his allegations, the NPP General Secretary said surprisingly when the plane flying the injured, including Dr Bawumia, got to the airport, National Security had arranged for an ambulance, without a paramedic, to pick Dr Bawumia.

He said when the driver of the ambulance was queried, he explained that it was one Warrant Officer Tetteh who had asked him to pick Dr Bawumia.

But the NDC General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, advised the NPP “not to joke with such serious matters” and that if it suspected any hidden hand,  it could come from the NPP fold.

He explained that from the onset, Dr Bawumia had never been the favourite of some members of the NPP, especially those who believed that Dr Bawumia was not a member of the party and also his selection as  running mate to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo affected their chances of being selected as running mates.

He added that those elements also believed that Nana Akufo-Addo was not accepting the 2012 results because he either wanted to lead the NPP for the third time or create the opportunity for Dr Bawumia, a move which had incurred the displeasure of others in the party who believed that it was their time to lead the NPP in the next elections.

Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Bawumia and the NPP’s National Chairman, Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, after the 2012 elections, filed a petition at the Supreme Court challenging the declaration of President Mahama as the winner of the elections.

Story by Donald Ato Dapatem