One of the most unpleasant tasks for any professional, let alone a politician, is facing the media, expecting a barrage of questions from friendly and hostile journalists.

Suppose you are a political leader from an incumbent party dealing with the excruciating impact of global factors on your local economy. In that case, the risk is even higher, especially with a major election in sight.

In such a media engagement, a slip could be catastrophic, while a sterler display surely will catapult one's campaign to an unimaginable height.

This was the dilemma Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President and Flagbearer of the NPP, found himself in when he faced the Ghanaian media in a much-anticipated media interaction last night.

Dr. Bawumia is great political orator, no doubt, having endeared himself to the media and held many Ghanaians spellbound with his eloquent and analytical presentations. But this was a completely different ball game. For the first time in sixteen years, Bawumia faced the media not under the shadows of the veteran politician Nana Akufo-Addo.

For the first time, Bawumia was facing the media all alone, as his own man, carrying his own cross, but crucially, also carrying the perceived infractions of the Akufo-Addo government he has served as Vice President for the past seven and half years.

The media engagement, predictably, was, therefore, going to be both friendly and hostile, from admirers and critics, with uncertain pictures. And they did! And Bawumia weathered the storm remarkably.

In my analysis below, I share how Dr. Bawumia navigated through the questions well.


AUDIENCE

In communication, especially political communication, knowing and understanding your audience is very key.  There were two audiences involved in this: the media, which was the primary audience, and the general Ghanaian population.

I was left with no doubt that Dr. Bawumia understood his audience very well. Starting off his presentation by requesting for a minute's silence for departed members of the media, especially those who lost their lives in the line of duty, was a mark of great reverence to the media. Acknowledging the indispensable role of the media in strengthening Ghana's democracy clearly underlined his commitment to media freedom. 

Dr. Bawumia could not have opted for a better start to his media encounter other than his public show of respect to the media.


MESSAGE

Even though this was supposed to be an unpredictable Q&A session, Dr. Bawumia set the tone perfectly with concise opening remarks, highlighting his political journey so far, especially as Flagbearer of the NPP. Rightly, he acknowledged and thanked the media for the supportive role they have played in his journey.

Bawumia's messaging also focused on two key things: vigorously highlighted the positive record of the government and his own vision he intends to implement as President. Nuancing his message along these two lines was the smartest thing to do.

DELIVERY

Dr. Bawumia is not new to such deliveries before the press. But as I mentioned earlier, this was a different exercise, in which he had to respond to surprise questions rather than a lecture from a prepared text.

Overall, it was an excellent delivery. Dr  Bawumia was clearly on top of issues in all sectors, from the economy to mining. I was particularly impressed by the bold manner in which he handled questions on the economy. This is an area many had predicted he would avoid or, at best, be evasive about. However, he was bold in his responses. More importantly, his responses to many of the economic questions were filled with data that anyone could verify.

2.  DEMEANOUR

Dr. Bawumia presented a confident demeanour, but he was also very calm in delivering his answers, especially on issues that needed clear and detailed explanation, such as the height of the economic crisis in 2022.

Dr.  Bawumia can be a fiery communicator, especially on the campaign trail before a charged, enthusiastic crowd. However, this was a platform to break down complex issues to Ghanaians through the media, and the delivery required a persuasive posture. Dr. Bawumia was persuasive, and that was effective political communication.

BANKING CRISIS

The banking sector clean-up, which sanitised the collapsing banking sector of Ghana, is undoubtedly a controversial topic which is grossly misunderstood or misrepresented politically.

Therefore, seizing the opportunity to use such a national platform to explain in detail to journalists and the nation the extent of rot in the banking crisis was a masterstroke. Many genuinely  don't know, and some pretend to be unaware of the rot, which nearly collapsed the sector. With the recent posture of former President Mahama, with regard to the banking sector clean-up,  Bawumia hit the right button by roping in Mahama, who he painted as one who has not even read the report of the receiver. Until Bawumia opened up in detail about what really happened in the banking sector, not many Ghanaians had been aware of the extent of the rot.

SINCERITY

To be fair to Dr. Bawumia, he has always admitted to the economic challenges the country has faced. But last night was his most touching admission.  He was visibly and audibly worried as it showed the depth of his concern in 2022, during the worst moment of the crisis.  Admitting and even going on to open the lid on how the economy nearly collapsed in 2022 showed sincerity on his part as a leader. Not many would do what Bawumia did. The easiest route would have been to be defensive and evasive.

PROBLEM SOLVER

As one of his taglines says, "To lead is to solve."

Dr. Bawumia refers to himself as a leader who solves problems. And throughout his presentation, he left the nation in doubt that he is a problem solver.

After painting a frightening picture of the extent of the economic crisis in 2022 and how concerned he was, Dr. Bawumia also showed how he thought through the difficulties and came up with effective solutions - the gold for oil and gold purchasing policies.

He also highlighted a number of policies he proposed, which addressed a number of age-old challenges in the country and portrayed him as a problem solver and a leader who has what it takes to weather the storm.

TOUGH QUESTIONS

 Unlike recent encounters I've seen, which many soft and cooked questions were asked, many of the questions that were asked Dr. Bawumia appeared hostile and unfriendly, which was very good for the audience, especially those watching. Some of them were questions the opposition would usually ask or have been asking Dr. Bawumia.

Having the opportunity to answer them right in front of the media did his campaign lots of good.  If those questions on the economy, on his role as Vice President and others had not been asked, many of them would have been a blot on the event.

CONCLUSION

Dr. Bawumia, once again, proved why he has had such a meteoric political rise. He rises to the occasion when expectations are so high, and on this occasion, when the entire nation was watching, he did.

Forget politically motivated negative analysis of his performance. It is normal, and it is to be expected. A well-known anti-Bawumia political communicator even had issues with the number of minutes Bawumia used to address the question of the economy. Once the focus is on the minutes used and not what was said, then it exposes the mischief of the so-called analyst.

In his nearly four-hour presentation, Dr Bawumia showed admirable intellectual depth and a remarkable possibility mindset, which is required at this stage to move Ghana forward.

With a dominant youthful population, Ghana needs a leader who has demonstrated a clear understanding of modern realities, and as Vice President, Dr. Bawumia has shown that.

In his presentation and answers, Dr. Bawumia showed his new, clear vision to transform the country as President in all sectors, with digitalisation, which is indispensable in contemporary economies, as a catalyst.

I noticed and admired his unwavering commitment to modern ways of national transformation through digital systems,  national values and a possibility mindset.

To sum it all up, Dr. Bawumia proved that he is a man on a mission.  His political critics will publicly attack him, but in private, they admire the depth of his intellect.

Dr. Ekow Acquah, Political Communications Consultant