Gabby Otchere-Darko prepared the speech Bawumia read at UPSA - Edudzi Tameklo alleges

Head of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has alleged that Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko was the one who wrote the speech that NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia delivered at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on February 7, 2024.

According to Edudzi, after writing the speech for the NPP flagbearer, Gabby Otchere-Darko took him through a simulation where they rehearsed what he was going to deliver.

"Gabby is the one who wrote the speech Dr. Bawumia delivered at UPSA; this is facts. He took him through a simulation and let Gabby come and deny it. He prepared the 73-page document for Bawumia. He was an integral part of it," he alleged.

Speaking in an interview on 3FM on Monday, February 19, 2024, the legal practitioner referenced old tweets of Dr. Bawumia and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo while in opposition and the comments they made about sole sourcing.

He accused Dr. Bawumia of being hypocritical and inconsistent, as he contradicted his own statements and tweets that he made while in opposition, especially on the issue of sole sourcing.

"Bawumia, in a tweet while in opposition, stated that overpricing of contracts through the use of sole sourcing is very typical of this John Mahama NDC government. Today, the Auditor General has told us that 87% of contracts on cocoa roads awarded under the watch of Akufo-Addo and Bawumia were done through sole sourcing and restricted tendering.

"Akufo-Addo himself, on August 23, 2016, stated that the era of sole sourcing will come to an end. This is Akufo-Addo, who today has awarded 87% of the contracts under sole sourcing at the value of GH¢9 billion," he stated.

In explaining his point further, Edudzi added that Gabby Otchere-Darko, who is the brain box of this government, also tweeted about sole sourcing.

With this description, he said that Gabby makes most of the decisions for the president.

However, a member of the Communications Team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alfred Thompson, objected and said that Gabby is not part of the government, and as a result, his opinion on governmental issues should not be taken as official.

"He is not part of the government; how then does he become the brain box of the government? When you bring certain things, we should challenge ourselves to it. He mentioned that he has retired from local politics; he didn't say he has retired from the government," Thompson said.

Thompson also noted that Bawumia was the one who prepared his speech.

"How can Gabby prepare such a speech for Bawumia? Was he there with Gabby to prepare that? Dr Bawumia himself prepared it. There were several times when I wanted to meet him, and he was with his research officer, and they were going through each page over and over again and doing the necessary corrections," he added.

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