Vice president Mahamudu Bawumia is reputed as a frontrunner in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership race. He is 10th on the ballot paper for the upcoming super delegates conference to cut the number of aspirants down from 10 to five before the November election.
On his campaign rounds, however, Bawumia has made statements that have triggered responses from political opponents within and outside of the party.
In the case of a response coming from within, his comment that the NPP big wigs in 2012 refused to mount the dock during the election petition has been disputed by then General Secretary, Kwabena Adjei Agyepong.
From outside, Bawumia’s claim that he has beaten former president John Dramani Mahama twice at the polls – ostensibly referring to 2016 and 2020 – whiles seeking to emphasize that he was the best to beat Mahama a third time, has also received a response from Mahama.
Agyapong replies Bawumia
According to Kwabena Agyepong, Dr Bawumia in his claim has deliberately avoided some baseline facts just to suit his narrative.
“Does he know the genesis of the case in court in 2012? Those of us who were at the Electoral Commission at the time, do you know what happened that caused the election results to be curtailed for 48 hours? Was he there by then?
"He only came in after the party National Council took a decision that we will go to court.
“If we are to go to court, candidate Akufo-Addo and he as being part of the ticket and then the chairman and then the general secretary of the party, those are the ones who went to go; those are the plaintiffs.
"So when you go and make your case you have to defend it. So he shouldn’t have said that for anyone to hear it. It is not true and it is wrong; I was very disappointed when I heard that we run away. It is not true,” he said.
The New Patriotic Party then in opposition challenged the 2012 presidential election results after the Electoral Commission declared John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress as winner.
Dr Bawumia who was then running mate to Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the ticket of the NPP testified in court as the key witness for the plaintiffs.
The Supreme Court eventually dismissed the petition.
Mahama schools Bawumia on standing for elections:
Former President John Dramani Mahama clapped back at Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in a recent interview over his claims that he has beaten him twice in elections.
Speaking on the KSM show, Mahama said Dr Bawumia was wrong in his assertion.
"He says he knows how to beat me and that he’s beaten me before. That’s what I saw, that he’s beaten me twice and he knows how to beat me again. But I’ve never run against him; his face has never been on a presidential ballot paper.
"How can you say you’ve beaten me? I’ve never run against you as a presidential candidate. It’s Nana Addo I run against in 2012, I beat him and then in 2016 he won and then 2020 he won.
"So even between Nana Addo and I, I’ve won once he's won twice. It’s just that he’s not going to run again but I am sure if he was going to run again, I would’ve equalised,” the former president emphasised.
SARA
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L-R: John Mahama, Mahamudu Bawumia and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong
