Former president, John Dramani Mahama, has jabbed the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the procurement of 275 buses for all constituencies, reportedly with a loan from the Universal Merchant Bank (UMB).

According to him, it is weird that a bank the NPP constantly touted as belonging to his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, would finance the purchase of buses for the same party’s internal elections.

The NPP will go to the polls to elect their national executives on Saturday, June 7, 2018, at Koforidua.

However, the election has been shrouded by criticism from certain quarters, especially after it emerged that Freddie Blay, an aspiring National Chairman, has procured 275 buses for all 275 of the party’s constituencies.

Mr. Blay actually took delivery of the first batch of 100 minibuses at the port on Wednesday and is expected to take delivery of the rest in the coming days.

He is reported to have made a down payment of 3 million dollars, which constitutes 30% of the total cost of 11.4 million dollars for the 275 cars.

His contender for the NPP National Chairmanship race, Stephen Ntim, has, however, criticized the decision, describing the purchase of buses as “vote-buying”.

In an attempt to defend the move, Mr. Blay’s spokesperson, Richard Nyamah, revealed he did not procure the buses with his own money, but rather secured a loan from UMB Bank.

“He has gone into an agreement with a bank, where the bank will make a profit and the constituencies at the end of every month, would also get some payments in their accounts to pay the party at the constituency level,” the spokesperson said.

However, Mahama finds this rather awkward, considering the fact that there were rife reports in the past linking his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, to the ownership of the said bank.

In a tweet, the ex-president rhetorically asked if his brother indeed financed the buses of the opposition NPP and its National Chairman aspirant, concluding his comment with a huge laugh jargon.

Mahama wrote: “$11.4 million Freddie Blay buses ahead of NPP election financed by Universal Merchant Bank? I thought Merchant Bank was sold to my brother, Ibrahim? So Ibrahim Mahama's bank financed the 275 buses for Blay & NPP? LOL!”

$11.4 million Freddie Blay buses ahead of NPP election financed by Universal Merchant Bank?
I thought Merchant Bank was sold to my brother, Ibrahim? So Ibrahim Mahama's bank financed the 275 buses for Blay & NPP? LOL! pic.twitter.com/kmAJP7Lnlv

— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) July 6, 2018