You don’t need debate to answer my 5 questions - Mahama to Bawumia

The Presidential Candidate of the National Democracy Congress (NDC), John Dramini Mahama has called out Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia to answer the five questions on the economy he posed to him and desist from hiding behind some 50 questions and a debate to avoid the questions. 

Mr Mahama emphasised that a debate was unnecessary for Dr Bawumia to address these questions, which he believes are crucial for Ghanaians.

Addressing a rally at Savelugu in the Northern Region on Wednesday (Oct 30, 2024), Mr Mahama called out the Vice President for evading the issues by responding with 50 questions, likening it to a kindergarten kid reciting a newly learned rhyme. 

He stressed that the economy was the central concern in this election, referencing Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign phrase, "It's the economy..."

“I woke up this morning and saw 50 questions to me, but it looks like the Vice President has just learnt those things in his 50 questions like the way we learnt rhymes because I asked you five simple questions on the economy, that’s all, simple questions Ghanaians want you to answer and you go to respond with how many composite plants did you build? How many this did you build? But that is not the issue in Ghana today.

“Let me take you down memory lane, in 1992 there was election in America, it was between Bill Clinton and George Bush senior, at that time the American economy was in recession the way the Ghanaian economy is in crisis today, and people were talking about immigration and all kinds of useless things, you know what the Clinton people said, it’s about the economy ..." 

“Today I am repeating those words, this election is about the economy ..., it’s not about all those other useless things about who built how many compost plants.

“Answer the five simple questions,” he said. 

Mr Mahama also mentioned that he had posed two questions to President Akufo-Addo, which remain unanswered. He asserted that Dr Bawumia was brought in to fix the economy, but it continues to suffer."

“You can hide behind a debate, you don’t need a debate to answer the five questions, when you asked Ammisah Authur 170 questions you didn’t agree to go debate for him to answer them . Akufo Addo too I have given him two questions he should come and answer them. 

“You have destroyed the economy and that is true, even if you look at the 50 questions he asked me he has skillfully avoided the economy, there is nothing on the economy and that is why I gave him the question why are you running away from the economy because you were brought in to fix the economy and the economy is in a terrible state, just answer the five questions”.