The flagbearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has taken the fight to Akufo-Addo again challenging him to square off with him in a debate at all cost.
It’s unclear whether Mr. Mahama’s bet on a Presidential debate will fundamentally change the dynamics in the upcoming race barely seven weeks to go to the Polls.
However, in an interview on Elmina-based Brenya FM on Thursday, 15 October 2020, the former president said it is not too late to hold the debate urging President Akufo-Addo to choose any sector of the economy that he’s comfortable to debate on.
The NDC Flagbearer said if the President believes strongly that the 2020 challenge is about track-records then he’s in a good stead to articulate the NPP government’s records in a debate.
“Now, I don’t know what to say. He says he won’t do it. The President himself says this election is about track record and who else is in a better position to talk about his track record than the person himself. I was head of government, so, I know what we did in our four years or even in our eight years when I was vice-president.
“I know everything. When it comes to healthcare, where we put up hospitals, polyclinics; I know. Where there was a port expansion, I know; petroleum sector oil fields, Sankofa and TEN field, I know.
“Agriculture, what we did in that sector, I know. So, I can defend my record.
“If President Akufo-Addo, knowing what he’s done in four years, the two people can defend the records of our governments ourselves. So, I said he should come and let’s debate, he said it’s about track records, so, if it’s track record, let’s compare our track records. He said I shot in advance, I said infrastructure. OK, it’s no more infrastructure, it’s about policy, whatever he wants, he should choose the subject, I won’t choose the subject because we were discussing infrastructure and I said ‘OK, let’s debate infrastructure’ but he says ‘beyond infrastructure, I’m ready’.
“Healthcare, education, even free SHS, he should come, we’ll debate, I’m not restricting it. Whether policy, infrastructure, track record, whatever, wherever he wants the debate held, his house, whoever will host it, I’m ready to debate him.”
“You’ll go and put something out there that ‘I took Karpowership from Tema to Takoradi’ but who brought the Karpowership in the first place? You delayed the Karpowership in Tema for one year, it should have been in Takoradi producing with gas by now, and many other things. ‘You solved dumsor’; even one megawatt of power, you haven’t produced.
“So, he should come and sit here, there are two microphones here, he would have been sitting there, then I would be sitting here, then we’ll speak for Ghanaians to hear him. So, as for the debate, the challenge is still on, we’ve about seven weeks to go, it’s not too late.”
