This Election Is About The Economy And Not Your ‘Useless’ 50 Questions – Mahama Replies Bawumia
In an emphatic address at a rally in Savelugu, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, intensified his demand for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to provide clear answers on pressing economic issues. Mahama’s call comes in response to Bawumia’s recent counter, where he issued list of 50 questions instead of directly addressing Mahama’s initial five economic queries.
The former president’s five questions center on issues impacting Ghanaians, including the steep rise in the exchange rate, now at GH¢17 to the dollar, Ghana’s ballooning debt from GH¢120 billion to GH¢767 billion, and an inflation rate that has climbed to 54% under the current administration. Mahama also questioned the government’s borrowing of GH¢42 billion from the Bank of Ghana and challenged Bawumia’s focus on digitalization amidst these economic challenges.
Addressing a lively crowd, Mahama criticized Bawumia’s 50-question response as an evasion of the “real concerns” facing Ghanaians. “I asked you five simple questions that Ghanaians want you to answer, and instead, you respond with, ‘How many compost plants did you build?’ That’s not the issue in Ghana today,” Mahama remarked, suggesting that Bawumia’s approach echoed memorized talking points rather than substance.
To reinforce his stance, Mahama invoked the iconic slogan from the 1992 U.S. election, “It’s the economy, stupid!” famously used by the Clinton campaign to underscore the primary importance of economic issues. “I am repeating those words,” Mahama said. “This election is about the economy, stupid. It is not about all those useless things like who built how many compost plants.”
With the 2024 election season gaining momentum, Mahama’s rallying cry places the economy at the forefront of the political discourse, signaling a clear line of debate. Ghanaians, meanwhile, await a potential face-off between the candidates, where these economic questions may be addressed head-on.