The flag bearer of New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, has criticised President Mahama, accusing him of being “divisive” and creating enmity between Ghanaians from the northern part of the country and those from the South.

“Now that the change is blowing all over the country, our president is resorting to tribal and divisive language. Instead of being a figure to bring all of us together, he wants to set North against South,” he noted in a reply to an earlier comment by President John Mahama.

Mr Mahama, while campaigning at Lawra, in the Upper West Region said: “I pity northerners who are calling for change,” adding that he felt sad for the New Patriotic Party’s vice-presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia – a northerner – because the NPP will only “use you and dump you”.

The three-time presidential candidate, addressing party supporters in the Upper East Region on Monday November 21, said the NPP would place the country on a pedestal that would result in “unprecedented development”.

On his part, the vice-presidential candidate of NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, challenged Mr Mahama to rather feel sorry for the plight of Ghanaians and not the electorate from Northern Ghana who have decided to vote him out of office.

“You should pity people who do not have a job; you should pity people who cannot access healthcare because the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has collapsed. You should feel pity for school children who are going hungry because the National School Feeding Programme is collapsing. You should feel pity for secondary school children who are going hungry because of feeding grants. You should feel pity for graduates who cannot get jobs six years after graduating. You should feel pity for cocoa farmers whose plants are dying and fishermen who cannot get fish because of the high cost of inputs,” he stressed.

Dr Bawumia pointed out at the rally that the suffering masses are those calling for change and are determined to vote for a competent and incorruptible leader who will develop the country.

“These are the people who want change, and it shows the insensitivity of this government and this president who has the audacity to say that he feels pity for northerners who want change. It is not only northerners, but everyone wants change,” he said.

“We want a visionary leader who is not corrupt and incompetent, and that is Nana Akufo-Addo, and it does not matter whether you are a northerner or southerner.”