Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Vice Presidential Candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has admonished the flagbearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC), John Dramani Mahama, to focus his campaign on "bread and butter issues".
He described as counterproductive John Mahama’s recent style of campaign driven by anger, insults and threats of violence.
It would be recalled that the former President and NDC flagbearer recently described Chiefs and religious leaders as hypocrites for blessing the NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and his Running Mate during their courtesy visitations ahead of the December polls.
John Mahama took serious exception to such conduct and expressed their behavior using unsavory language.
He called into question the traditional and religious authorities' sense of judgement but, speaking at the durbar with a gathering of Chiefs, the Clergy, Imams and the people of Kumawu in the Ashanti Region on Thursday, 19th September, 2024, as part of his constituency-focused campaign tour, Dr. Opoku Prempeh chided the former President.
He slammed Mahama for attacking the nation’s revered Chiefs and religious leaders and insisted that the NPP will continue to visit them for their blessings emphasizing the party respects these authorities.
“He [John Mahama] should be told that elections cannot be won on the basis of anger, insults and violence. He should focus on bread and butter issues. No matter his attacks and insinuations, the NPP will continue to revere Chiefs, Imams and Pastors. We will continue to visit you for your blessings because we acknowledge that your blessings mean a lot for our party and nation,” he remarked.
NAPO, as he is affectionately called, also recounted the many instances where the former President insulted Ghanaians saying, “when we ask for jobs, John Mahama tells us he is not a magician to give us jobs. When we ask for roads, he tells us that we [Asantes] are ungrateful people and that, even if he painted the entire streets of Kumasi with gold, we won’t appreciate. When we complain of hardship, he tells us that he has become a dead goat and cannot hear our cry".
"Is this the man you want to have as your leader?”, Napo quizzed.