In response to President John Dramani Mahama’s claim that changing an incumbent government affects development, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer for the 2016 polls, Nana Akufo-Addo, has stated that President Mahama will indeed be changed at the polls for his failures. He also questioned the President’s grasp of the concept of democracy.
His remark was in response to President Mahama and his National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) ridicule of him for begging for votes on the campaign trail.
Nana Akufo-Addo, had previously said he was prepared to beg Ghanaians to make him President if that is what he needs to do save the country from decline.
Speaking to residents of Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region on Wednesday, the NPP Flagbearer said, “my real question to the President is: does he understand the foundational principles of our democracy? Because if he understands democracy, he would not be making certain comments.”
“He says I am touring Ghana begging Ghanaians to give me their mandate and that I should desist from this practice. What is the import of this too?” In his eyes, the electorate are the ones with the key to the Presidency, thus Nana Akufo-Addo insisted that he would not stop begging for their support.
“Does the power of the State not belong to you the people of Ghana? Is it not your power that the President is exercising now? If I want a bit of that power, should I not plead with you the people to offer it to me? I will continue to appeal to Ghanaians again and again,” Nana Akufo-Addo declared.
Mahama being hypocritical Nana Akufo-Addo further suggested that, President Mahama was being hypocritical for suggesting during his campaign rounds that, changing an incumbent government would be bad for development.
“The President recently said the that a change of government would affect the development and progress of the county. Has he now realized that changing a government is bad for our democracy? Are they not the ones that called for change in 2008; that resulted in the ousting of the NPP government?” Nana Akufo-Addo also said the constitution guaranteed an evaluation mechanism every four years via the electoral process, and thus urged Ghanaians to vote President Mahama out.
“Now that Ghanaians are gearing up to change him, is that the best he can say to us? Should we allow him to continue in government in this manner? No. we are going to change him.”
“If we find out that you have performed abysmally in managing the affairs of the people? We have no option but to change you.”