The spokesperson for the office of the Vice President, Gideon Boako, has called on Ghanaians to vote for a candidate with no history of corruption.

According to him, the NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has a proven track record of being corruption-free after eight years in power, making him the ideal candidate to lead the country as president.

Expressing his views on the OSP’s findings in the Airbus Scandal on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo morning show on Monday, August 12, 2024, Dr. Gideon Boako stated that NDC flagbearer John Dramani Mahama has failed the corruption test after the Special Prosecutor disclosed that he was the ‘Government Official One’.

Additionally, he argued that other corruption-related charges levelled against the former president during his tenure as vice president and subsequently as president disqualify him from contesting for the presidency again.

He posited that the ‘Government Official One’ tag will forever be a dent on Mahama’s image and that he must not be allowed to return to power.

“One person, when you became vice president, there was information that your president, Atta Mills, set up a committee to investigate you on corruption related matters on the Embraer Airplane. This same person was reported to have been bribed by a Burkinabe contractor with a Ford Expedition vehicle. Just one person was surrounded by all these issues when you had the opportunity to serve as president and vice president, but you couldn’t be more careful.

“What even angered Ghanaians was when he was interviewed by the BBC and you were asked, ‘Mr President, are you corrupt’, and you replied,'me, as a human being?’. Then it means you yourself; when you are alone, you know in your thoughts that you can’t separate yourself from corruption and bribery,” he said on Peace FM.

He therefore appealed to Mahama to step aside from contesting the December elections because he has failed to pass the corruption test, as against his main opponent, whom he believes has no blemish on his image.

“There are so many people in this country who can lead Ghana, and not because we do not have competent individuals, so someone who was once given the chance to rule over us, mess up the country, and also etch his name in the minds of Ghanaians with evidence as corrupt, should not be given the chance once more when there are righteous candidates who have served for 8 years without a single allegation of being involved in corruption.

“As for this election, I think Mahama should step aside because he has failed the corruption test. It should be clear to every Ghanaian that President Mahama has failed the corruption test. He was given the opportunity, and he has proven that he is one of the presidents who can’t fight corruption. We have other competent people like Mahamudu Bawumia. For 7 years to 8 years, not a single case of corruption can be attributed to him,” he said.

MAG/OGB