Not all battles are fought in the boxing ring, some are fought behind the podium with words. Ghana since the year 2000 has been keen on presidential debates. It has been a means to send a message to electorates beyond the long manifestos.
However, after a long pause from the battle of words, calls are becoming rife for another debate. The question is will the strong opponents, have a consensus to match each other?
Since being declared flagbearers of Ghana’s biggest rivaling political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Dr Mahamudu Bawumia have been taking swipes at each other
Ghana has been a witness to former President John Mahama’s numerous impressions of Dr Bawumia’s popular statements.
“Professor Gyan Baffour… Alan Kyerematen … Honourable Osafo Marfo…. Ken Ofori Atta… what a solid team!” Mr Mahama said in March 2023, when he met NDC delegates in the Volta Region – a direct swipe at Dr Bawumia’s speech introducing the NPP’s economic management team in 2017. Mr Mahama was quick to add, “this is where the solid team has gotten us.”
But, Dr Bawumia did not go to the battle unprepared. At an Islamic event where both he and Mr. Mahama were honoured as guests of the National Chief Imam, Dr. Bawumia threw jabs at his rival.
“We should recite the Surah ul Fatiha for John Mahama to convert to Islam then we call him Mallam John,” Dr Bawumia said at the gathering amid laughter.
Question: Are Ghanaians liking what’s on display?
An unstructured discourse with no guide, unclear direction, and no means to keep proper scores.
Travel Past
Let’s go back in time – in the year 2000 when the Institute of Economic Affairs hosted all aspirants of the year’s election. The well-attended debate debuted with all aspirants save the then vice president, Prof John Evans Atta Mills who doubled as the Flagbearer of the ruling party, the National Democratic Congress. Prof Mills went on to lose that election and the next, both to the New Patriotic Party’s John Agyekum Kufour. Despite winning the election in 2004, Kufour had not partaken in the year’s debate – throwing a jinx into a myth that could have blamed electoral losses on debate absenteeism.
The 2008 presidential debate had no incumbent president on the bill. The aspirants got the opportunity to debate on a somewhat level ground, which preceded Professor Mills’ win in December’s polls.
The next debate by the IEA was held in 2012. With better structures in place, the debate was introduced to moderators who were tasked to ask questions and drive the direction of the event. Interestingly the two moderators will go on best political careers. Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, a celebrated academic became the minister for education in the next government and subsequently the 2020 and 2024 running mate for the National Democratic Congress.
The other moderator Kojo Oppong Nkrumah who was then a journalist went on to become Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi and deputy Minister for Information, then substantive Minister for Information, and subsequently minister for works and housing.
The debate saw then-incumbent President John Dramani Mahama representing the National Democratic Congress; Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the New Patriotic Party; Dr. Michael Abu Sakara representing the Convention People’s Party And Dr Hassan Ayariga then of the People’s National Convention. It was thrilling to have a sitting president join the aspirants for the debate. This worked against the perception that certain presidents use the debate as a conduit to win the elections and then decide not to engage in further debates.
In the same debate, Dr Hassan Ayariga would be known for the next months as ‘Ayaricough,’ following incessant coughs during the event. Though social media proliferation in Ghana was still at its dawn, it would not be far-fetched to say ‘Ayaricough’ trended.
In the year 2016, the Institute of Economic Affairs held its Town Hall presidential debates which only saw three presidential aspirants seated; Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom of the PPP, Jacob Osei Yeboah an independent candidate, and Dr Edward Mahama of the PNC. Mr. John Mahama who was the incumbent president and Nana Addo Akufo-Addo of the opposition. NPP failed to show up.
The results of the election that year led to Me Mahama losing to Mr Akufo-Addo. Since then, the debates have been on hold.
Proposal: Will You Debate Me?
Both the NPP and the NDC have pointed fingers at each other for not wanting to debate the other. Barely a month before the 2020 general elections, Mr Mahama called out President Akufo-Addo to enter a debate with him.
“The debate between myself and President Akufo-Addo is important to settle all these issues (Indian funding for Tema-Mpakadan rail) but they said they won’t come; it is still not too late for him to accept to debate me,” Mr Mahama said to party supporters at Atimpoku as part of his four-day Eastern Regional campaign tour.
But, no show!
In 2024, Mr Mahama stands for the NDC, this time against Dr Bawumia for the NPP. The latter calling out the former to a debate
“I’m looking forward to a debate with John Mahama on the economy, country, and governance, but I’m afraid that he is running away from a debate …He doesn’t want to debate because he knows I will expose the emptiness of his policies… when we meet mano a mano, we will debate and the country will see where our policies lie,” Dr Bawumia exclaimed at his North East regional campaign.
Dr Bawumia’s statement has been deemed by the NDC flagbearer’s spokesperson Joyce Bawa Mogtari as not a priority but should be targeted at Dr. Bawumia rather than fixing the economy.
However, speaking on GHToday, deputy National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress, Malik Basintale mentioned that John Mahama has been ready for a beat since 2020 and has been calling to no avail.
“John Mahama has been ready since 2020,” Basintale told Serwaa Amihere on the Breakfast Review on GHoNe TV’s GHToday.
The question is will the strongest opponent bid to the call and give Ghana a showdown?
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ekow Boakye
