Akbar Yussif Rohullah Khomeini, an aide to Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), have hinted at a potentially acrimonious 2024 election campaign, engaging in sharp verbal exchanges last Saturday on live TV, jabbing each other’s presidential candidate.
Khomeini, in response to Gyamfi’s characterization of Dr Bawumia as a chronic liar, strongly criticized the NDC’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, stating that he should not lead any political party in an efficient democratic election.
The heated exchange between the two lawyers, highlights the escalating tension between the two political camps, as they prepare for the December elections.
The intensity of these verbal clashes raises concerns that the focus on personal attacks may overshadow critical issues affecting Ghanaian voters.
With citizens grappling with economic challenges, infrastructural issues, corruption, and governance concerns, the political discourse ahead of the elections should ideally address these vital matters.
Akbar Yussif Rohullah Khomeini, drew blood saying the NDC flagbearer should not be leading any political party in an election in any democratic that is efficient.
He was replying to the National Communications Officer of the NDC, who had described Dr Bawumia as a chronic liar.
He argues that Mr Mahama was incurably corrupt and is known both locally and internationally as such, adding he had no integrity when it comes to fighting against corruption.
Sammy Gyamfi accused Dr Bawumia of peddling falsehood in 2016 and in 2020 and got away with it to win the elections for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) but cannot do that this time around.
“It is very laughable that our friends in the NPP and Bawumia think that they can once again hoodwink the people with lies.
“Ghanaians are wide awake. The days when Bawumia could get away with his lectures as we saw in opposition which were full of lies, are gone. He got away with it in 2016 and in 2020, but they will not be third time lucky in 2024. The whole propaganda that he was the economic Messiah, and he had the magic wand has been exposed.
“The people have no confidence and trust in Bawumia, his people are faced with the challenge of marketing a candidate who is a chronic liar,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, February 10 while reacting to the address delivered by Dr Bawumia.
Also commenting on the same show, Akbar said “I think that as somebody who passionately advocates for Mahama, he should be the last person to use the word credibility, especially on matters bothering corruption. Mr Mahama is the only politician I know at the highest level who is incurably corrupt, there is absolutely no doubt about that.
“In February 2009, according to the Federal Court report on the matter of the infamous Airbus scandal, the court established conclusively that Mr Mahama as early as February 2009 was in a constant email conversation with officials of Airbus.
“We also have listened, after a series of investigations by the Special Prosecutor, that it was established clearly that Mr Mahama was the man designated Government Official 1. It was this man who used the name of his brother as the intermediary to receive bribes worth 8 million dollars with a phoney company registered in Spain. That phoney company took 3 million dollars out of the money and remitted over 5 million dollars to Mr. Mahana.”
He added “Indeed, if we were in any democratic culture that works effectively, Mr Mahama should not be leading any political party into any elections. This is a man whose reputation as a corrupt man is known locally and internationally. In fact, in the BBC interview he was asked ‘Have you ever received bribes?’ he dilly-dallied and asked a counter question whether as a human being or as president. When Dr Bamumia spoke at UPSA, he proudly declared that as a human being and as vice president he is not corrupt.”
