The electorate stands the most to lose from the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) decision not to avail its flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, to debate President John Mahama, Deputy Communication Minister, Felix Kwakye-Ofosu has said.
Speaking to Citi News, he said the ongoing impasse over a potential one-on-one debate between the two leading contenders in the 2016 presidential race “is a matter of regret for the electorate. It is the electorate that is poorer for it.”
In rebuttals to President John Mahama’s recent challenges to debate Nana Akufo-Addo on issues of the economy, the NPP has asked for a response to the 170 questions laid out by the NPP running mate, Dr, Mahamadu Bawumia during his lecture on the state of the Ghanaian economy in September.
The NPP is also requesting a formal approach from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) if any possible headway would be made on the issue.
Nana Addo running away
But Mr. Kwakye-Ofosu suggested that Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP are simply running from a debate with President Mahama.
“It is obvious that the flagbearer of the NPP and his party are showing a clean pair of heels in the matter of a debate between President Mahama and himself.”
“It is obvious that the NPP realizes their flagbearer’s limitations with regards to having the sort of grasp of national issues that will position him to convincingly engage in a debate with his opponents in order to allow for the electorate to make informed choices.”
The NDC has held that the NPP’s criticism of the economy is not anchored on facts thus they have been misinforming the electorate.
The Deputy Minister explained that, “we in the NDC campaign were under the impression that a debate platform where he goes toe-to-toe with President Mahama will be the most appropriate platform for him [Nana Addo] to raise the claims that he has been making about this country and receive the appropriate responses.”
“But lo and behold, he and his party do not appear to have the confidence to engage President Mahama,” Mr. Kwakye-Ofosu added.
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