Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo, has said that President John Mahama has through his actions and inactions, soiled the northern brand, which was known to be one of integrity and honesty, with corruption.

Speaking at Balungu in the Bongo Constituency on Tuesday at the commencement of his four-day tour of the Upper East region, Dr. Bawumia urged the people of the North not to vote for Mahama and the NDC because doing that will mean a continuation of the massive corruption and stealing that has been witnessed in the last eight years, and which has become the hallmark of the John Mahama-NDC administration.

“John Mahama’s government is the most corrupt government in the history of Ghana. Dollar for dollar, cedi for cedi, this government is the most corrupt in our history. And yet he tells the people of the North to vote for him because he is our brother.

Why does your government steal from northerners if you care for northerners and why do you want us to give you another opportunity to steal more from the people you say you are trying to protect?” he asked.

Touching on the legacy of President Mahama and the NDC government, Nana Akufo-Addo’s running mate observed that solely as a result of the actions and inactions of the President and the people close to him had damaged the long-held view that northerners eschewed corruption and were honest people.

He recalled northerners of yesteryear and noted the diligence and integrity with which they selflessly and proudly served their people and worked in various capacities without any thought whatsoever about personal gains, but expressed sadness at how the current government, led by someone who proudly describes himself as a Northern President, has thrown all these principles away.

“Let us face it, John Mahama’s government is a disgrace to Northerners. Northerners were always a proud people. We value our integrity. We don’t have money but we have pride.

We are seen as honest people. This is the way our fathers worked, honesty was the guiding principle of Northerners. We are honest and value our integrity.

But today thanks to John Mahama, the people of Ghana are viewing us very differently”, he stated.

Dr. Bawumia called on the people of the North to therefore vote against the NDC’s presidential candidate and the NDC in the coming elections as the NDC had over 8 years demonstrated gross disregard for the people of the north and had gone ahead to even destroy the time-tested northern brand.

“Therefore it is time to restore the pride of Northerners and the way we are going to restore that Pride is to get rid of this John Mahama corrupt government. It is not doing northerners any good and this is why we have to vote for Nana Akufo-Addo”, he added.

Dr. Bawumia’s Upper East Regional Tour comes on the back of a month-long tour of the Northern Region which saw him visit 27 constituencies in the Region.