The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has issued a bold call to former President John Mahama, urging him to face off in a direct debate rather than relying on what he termed “flimsy questions.” This challenge comes after Mahama publicly posed five questions to Dr. Bawumia, echoing the 170 questions Bawumia himself had posed to then-Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur in 2016.

Speaking to NDC supporters in Tatale on October 28, Mahama had posed his own set of pressing questions. He urged Dr. Bawumia to explain issues ranging from the current exchange rate and Ghana’s rising debt to inflation and borrowing from the Bank of Ghana. Mahama concluded with a final question, asking why Dr. Bawumia had shifted focus from the economy to digitalization, saying, “Come and talk about the economy. That’s question five.”

Dr. Bawumia didn’t hold back, asserting, “I would have thought he would be man enough to face me in a one-on-one debate for the Ghanaian public to assess our respective policies, achievements, and visions. He should not hide behind these flimsy questions to avoid a debate.”

He called Mahama’s questions insufficient, stating that he was prepared to address “more substantive issues” and even offered a list of 50 questions for Mahama. His questions spanned topics from economic management and social policies to the challenges of Dumsor under Mahama’s administration. Among his pointed inquiries, Dr. Bawumia questioned why Mahama’s government opposed free Senior High School (SHS) education and cancelled teacher and nursing training allowances, both policies the NPP later restored.

Further challenging Mahama’s legacy, Dr. Bawumia asked about the near-collapse of the banking sector under the NDC, as well as a lack of “broad-based social intervention policies.” Confident in his record, Dr. Bawumia reiterated his willingness to address Mahama’s five questions within a debate format, inviting Ghanaians to witness a direct comparison of their visions and achievements.