President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has challenged the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama, to debate the presidential candidate of his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

Dr. Bawumia has challenged Mahama to a debate on Ghana’s economy, but the leadership of the NDC has said that their presidential candidate is never going to debate the vice president.

Speaking on the issue of the presidential debate at a campaign event in Tamale, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, Akufo-Addo accused Mahama of running away.

“Why is Mahama running away from the debate? Bawumia says he is ready for the debate any day. So, why is Mahama running away?” the president asked.

He pointed out that a debate would help Ghanaians make a decision on which of the presidential candidates can be trusted.

“We need someone who is reliable, whose words can be trusted, who is consistent and clear-minded. That is why some of us are saying, in fact, the majority of us are saying, we want Mahama and Bawumia to debate the issues in our country,” he said.

What the NDC has said about Mahama debating Bawumia:

The National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, in an interview with CTV, stated categorically that his party has decided that Mahama would not engage in any form of debate with Bawumia.

“The NDC that I’m a national chairman of has said that President Mahama would not engage Bawumia in any debate, in any shape or form,” he said in Twi.

The NDC national chairman explained that the party’s decision is based on the grounds that any debate with a “fool” would have no meaningful outcome.

He added that debating with liars is also an exercise in futility.

“There are two things that I have learnt from philosophy, which have guided the way I do politics. There are two categories of people that any sensible person should not debate; one is the fool or an idiot. Never argue with the fool because people would never know the difference. I hope it does not apply to His Excellency the Vice President because I don't know him to be a fool.

“Number 2, never argue with a liar, you can’t win because they believe in their own lies. It is like wrestling with a swine in the mud, it would pull you into it (the mud),” he said.

Leading figures of the NPP have said that former President Mahama is afraid of debating Bawumia because he fears he will be badly beaten.

The NPP flagbearer, who is also the vice president of the republic, has himself said that Mahama is avoiding a debate with him out of fear of being exposed.

"I am looking forward to a debate with John Mahama on the economy and governance, but he is running away from a debate. His people say he doesn’t want to debate because he knows that I will expose the emptiness of his policies," Bawumia said.

Watch Akufo-Addo's remarks:



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