Dr Kwame Sarpong Asiedu, a fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), says Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia must take responsibility for the successes and failures of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

He observed that Dr. Bawumia, as flagbearer of the NPP, took credit for the positives of the current government while dissociating himself from “certain failures” of his regime.

“He [Dr. Bawumia] takes credit for digitisation and early stability of the Cedi…so if he is taking credit for the positives of this government, why is he walking away from the negatives? What happened to collective responsibility?” Dr Asiedu asked in his submission on Joy FM’s Newsfile on Saturday.

Speaking on fallouts of Dr Bawumia’s address at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Dr Asiedu disagreed with the Vice President’s analogy of being a “driver’s mate” to President Akufo-Addo.

Dr Bawumia, in his address at the University, highlighted key policies and promised to abolish the e-levy and other taxes when made president.

Contrary to assertions that the Vice President was not in-charge of making final decisions in his government, Dr Asiedu said the NPP Flagbearer should have stated his disapproval of some levies and decisions by his government early enough.

He said Dr Bawumia’s decision to “take a different path” implied that there was “something wrong with the current path”.

“Either the Vice President distances himself from everything that this government has been accused of or take responsibility for the successes and the failures.

“He [Dr Bawumia] is a spare driver who takes over the vehicle from the driver. Therefore, if the vehicle is a commercial vehicle, the profitability of the vehicle inures to the driver and spare driver,” he said.

Responding to the Senior Vice President of IMANI-Africa’s advocacy that Dr. Bawumia should be given a chance as President, the CDD Fellow said both candidates (NDC and NPP) should be given equal opportunity at the polls.

“If you tell me Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia should be given a fair hearing, then former President Mahama should be given a fair hearing too, because both of them have skeletons in their cupboards,” he stated.