Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, has labelled former president John Dramani Mahama a failure during his time as president.

Addressing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) faithful in Damongo on February 17, 2024, the former lawmaker averred that Mahama did not expect to be president but for the death of John Evans Atta Mills in office.

"He never expected to be president. Somehow, it was thrown at him, and he messed up. And he messed up big time. Now, I don't know what he is coming back to do," Boateng, popularly referred to as Asa Bee, stressed.

"But his brother Bawumia from the north has leapfrogged him already. Bawumia is looking forward, not backwards," he added before alleging wrongly that Mahama, a year on from his election as 2024 flagbearer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said nothing by way of policy directions.

"After being nominated in just two months, Bawumia has come up with policy directions and the way to get the economy to a higher level," Asa Bee stated in reference to the vice president's February 7 lecture.

He underscored that Bawumia knew how to build the economy and that he represents the country's future.

"So, let's go out of this room, and all of us, do hard work. It is not going to be easy, but I know we will win; we will beat the NDC to a pulp," he stressed.

The main challenger to Bawumia in the 2024 election is John Dramani Mahama, who is seeking his final term in office on his fourth consecutive run for the presidency.

He won his first shot in 2012 but lost the second and third attempts to Akufo-Addo in 2016 and 2020, respectively.

The John Mahama versus Mahamudu Bawumia contest will be the first time in the Fourth Republic that both major contenders for the presidency will be from the northern part of the country.

While Mahama is gunning for his final term in office, Bawumia wants to go a step further; after serving for two terms as Vice President, he is in his final year in the role.

John Mahama's time has passed - Asa B.#GHOneNews #GHOneTV pic.twitter.com/rWYSVcIHPR

— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) February 18, 2024