Tamale North MP accuses Bawumia of “Photocopier Campaign” in Race for Presidency

The Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyine, didn’t mince words as he accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr. Mahamoud Bawumia, of engaging in a “photocopier campaign” in the run-up to the presidential elections.

Alhaji Suhuyine on Metro TV’s News and Current Affairs show, Good Morning Ghana on Tuesday April 30, 2024, didn’t hold back, asserting that Dr. Bawumia who is the chairman of the economic management team, has been copying ideas from the opposition, particularly those championed by NDC’s flagbearer John Dramani Mahama. He highlighted instances where Dr. Bawumia seemingly echoed criticisms raised by the opposition regarding policies and decisions made by the current government, despite being a key figure in the administration.

The MP pointed out Dr. Bawumia’s stance on contentious issues such as the E-levy, betting laws, and the size of government, suggesting that his agreement with criticisms voiced by Mahama reflected a lack of originality and a mere attempt to court voters. Alhaji Suhuyine criticized Dr. Bawumia’s inconsistency, citing examples where he initially disparaged Mahama’s campaign strategies only to adopt similar tactics later on.

“Look, clearly so far, Dr Bawumia has demonstrated that he is going to be a photocopier in this campaign. This is because some of the things that he seems to be doing or say, are things that the opposition led by John Dramani Mahama, have identified as problems need to be resolved”

“Problems that he, Dr Bwumia, has created together with the president. So when you hear NDC and John Mahama say that E-levy is a bad law, then you have Dr Bawumia come and say, yes it is a bad law, yet he is the chairman of the economic management team. That is a photocopier just to win an election. John Mahama said the Betting law is bad and Dr Bawumia come to say, yes I’m the economic management chair and yes I agree that it is bad and yet he is still sitting in cabinet with the president, the one who introduced these policies”

Furthermore, Alhaji Suhuyine lambasted the Vice President for failing to act on reducing the size of the government when he had the opportunity, yet now claiming he would do so if elected. He described Dr. Bawumia’s campaign as self-serving and devoid of genuine innovation, reducing him to a mere “photocopier” of ideas.

“…While John Mahama say the size of government is too large, I’m reducing it when he wins power, Dr Bawumia who is sitting in cabinet, taking decision to increase the number of ministers, and yet on a campaign trail, he photocopy again, saying yes he agrees, the size of government is too large and I also intend to reduce it when elected. This is a man when they have opportunity to reduce the size of government, he failed to take that opportunity and are still appointing new people, because the positions are treated like toffees so every region is entitled to a certain set of toffees.”

“So it doesn’t matter if the country requires those ministers at post or not, it must be given to that region and so it is their entitlements. Dr Bawumia sits in cabinet and takes this decision with president, yet come out to say size of government is too big”

“John Mahama goes on a “Building the Ghana we want tour”, which he started in the 2020 elections that led to the “people’s manifesto” Dr Bawumia at the time said John Mahama lacks ideas, that they, npp, have the ideas. That was what Dr Bawumia said about John Mahama’s retail campaign. But now that dr Bawumia see that it resonates with the people, he is in a self-serving manner claims to be embarking on a retail campaign, a gain this is a photocopy that I talked about. So, clearly he is going to reduce himself to being a photocopier in this campaign”