A founding member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, says he doubts former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has the will, resolve, and independent-mindedness needed to lead the party.
Speaking during an interview with TV3, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said that while Bawumia is a brilliant mind and possesses the experience and know-how needed to lead a country, his fatal flaw is that he is not strong enough to withstand outside pressure.
The NPP party stalwart said Bawumia failed to demonstrate during his time as Vice President that he can be independent or stand up to strong outside pressure, making him amenable to nefarious pressures if elected.
“We need a kind of leadership that can make decisive decisions without any undue interference. And I doubt Baumia has that temerity,” Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said. “The economic and social challenges facing Ghana today – ballooning debt, rising unemployment, and an eroded public trust in governance cannot be addressed by half measures or by a leader who is constantly looking over his shoulder for approval from power brokers.”
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe pointed to the e-levy fiasco as an indication of Dr Bawumia’s failure to stand up to the powers that be when it is necessary.
He recounted how Bawumia admitted that while he was not in favour of the e-levy, his advice was not listened to in its implementation. During the campaign for the 2024 election, Bawumia said he is not in charge of the country, and once he’s in charge, he will repeal the tax.
“When a leader comes to tell you that he is not in charge, somebody else is in charge. How do you look at it?” Nyaho-Tamakloe quizzed. He added that if Bawumia had the kind of resolve he was talking about, he would have resigned during the e-levy fiasco.
Nyaho-Tamakloe praised Bawumia’s intellect and possession of technocratic knowledge, but added that technocratic knowledge does not make a person a good leader.
