A senior clergy of the Catholic Church, Father Lawrence Azure, has commended Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia for showing exemplary leadership in ensuring political tolerance and cohesion.

Father Azure, also the Dean of the Bolgatanga Deanery of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, lauded the Vice President for “taking politics to a new level.”

Dr. Bawumia received the commendation when he led a government delegation and New Patriotic Party (NPP) officials to mourn with Isaac Adongo, the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolga Central, when he buried his late mother on Saturday.

The MP has been an ardent critic of the Vice President, but ironically, some of his friends have nicknamed him “Bolga Bawumia”.

In a brief sermon, Father Azure said Vice President Bawumia’s presence at the funeral was a clear manifestation of political maturity.

He said: “Who would have thought or believed that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia would attend the funeral of the man who has been attacking him?”

“This clearly shows that politics is a contest of ideas, not fights and bloodshed.”

“Vice President Bawumia has really taken politics to a new level”.

Hundreds of mourners from both sides of the political divide, including former President John Dramani Mahama, current and former ministers and MPs attended the funeral, held in Bolgatanga.

Vice President Bawumia was accompanied by Madam Paulina Abayage, the Upper East Regional Minister, and other government and NPP officials.