Ghanaians not ready to put 'unmarketable' Nana to test - NDC

Volta Regional Secretary for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Bandy has described as sheer hypocrisy the comment by Peter Mac-Manu, leader of NPP 2016 Campaign Team that President John Mahama is abusing his incumbency.

According to him, Peter Mac-Manu’s comment is borne out of panic for the fact that President Mahama’s ‘accounting to the people tour’ is exposing the lies of the opposition NPP in the Volta Region as well as the entire country.

The 2016 Campaign Manager of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) accused the president of “abusing incumbency” with his ‘Accounting to the People’ tour.

Mahama is on a nationwide tour showcasing developmental projects undertaken during his reign over the last three years as well as commissioning a few ones while encouraging Ghanaians to retain him in power to continue with the projects.

The main opposition feels embittered about it, claiming National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2016 elections is using state resources to campaign.

“We should be able to distinguish purely party activities from government activities, however thin the line is…these are areas of concern on abuse of incumbency and how they relate to impartiality of elections…if you use government activities to portray the image of your party then it’s unfair to Ghana’s presidential candidates. If you look at the activities I think it is not purely government activity; I think there should be some rules or guidelines in this. The speeches that are made do not suggest the inference you are making,” he stated.

But on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Mustapha Bandy insisted that President Mahama is on a national assignment and so incumbent on him to use state resources and not private transport buses or personal vehicles.

“No President in Ghana has used his private cars for national assignment. This is not something we should waste time on. We have to treat it with the disdain it deserves. This is strictly sheer hypocrisy and panic for the fact that the President’s tour will expose the lies that President Mahama has done nothing in Volta Region as well as the entire nation.”

“…NPP will lie because their Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo is not marketable; he is not attractive to voters and he is not someone Ghanaians can put him to the test. Someone who is 72 years...it is not possible to test him,” he indicated.