Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and former President, John Dramani Mahama, have set the stage for a volatile election 2020 campaign barely 11 months after Mahama left office and Bawumia assumed office as Vice President.
The two have incited their followers to criticise and verbally attack each other since the former president threw the first blow at the Central Region session of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Unity Walk last Sunday. Among other allegations of impropriety, Mahama accused the NPP administration and Bawumia in particular, of masterminding the procurement of the National Digital Post Address System (NDPAS) at a cost of $2.5 million, when the same system could be procured virtually for free.
Obviously, Mahama’s “uppercut” hurt so bad that Bawumia had to retaliate so fast and mercilessly beyond measure to sooth his ego and feelings. ‘I need to get this response off my chest’ the clearly gratified Bawumia said, after he had “finished” Mahama with a “lecture” on the NDPAS and a load of counter allegations of impropriety.
Attacks and criticism:
The best form of defence is to attack; and former President Dramani Mahama’s unprovoked attacks seem to have been made for defence purposes than for mere criticism of the NPP and Bawumia. Mahama’s attacks also point to two other things. First, the days that parties that lost elections became fair game, easily targeted, attacked and prosecuted for their alleged wrong doings while in office, seems to be over. Now they can retaliate and or initiate the attacks.
Secondly, and for the first time, a former president is preparing to contest the presidency. This second dynamic is likely to change the face of political campaigns in Ghana, if Mahama gets the NDC’s approval to contest the 2020 elections.
With his wealth and oratory skills, the NPP can expect Mahama to lead the attacks in a most vicious election campaigns, as the NPP incumbency would not be as potent as if the main opposition is led by a “new” candidate that has not held the high office of president.
Corruption allegations:
Allegations of corruption are the most potent and perhaps most popular weapons in the arsenal of any opposition party. The NPP used it to the maximum when they were in opposition. The NDC is obviously determined to cash in on corruption allegations. But to what end? Only to make the government look bad; and be booted out of office?
Prior to the 2016 election, the NPP levelled a lot of corruption allegations against the NDC. It is 11 months since the NPP came to power but have not been able to put even one NDC functionary before court for the many corruption allegations, including those familiar ones Dr Bawumia reiterated in his response to Mr Mahama’s attacks.
Following the Mahama, Bawumia exchanges, the NDC has dared the NPP to put before court, any of the NDC officials who engaged in corruption while they were in government. The NPP in turn has said they are still investigating and want to be absolutely sure of the alleged offences before they proceed to court.
In other instances the NPP has given the impression that without the office of the proposed Special Prosecutor in place those allegations would not or cannot be dealt with by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General (AG).
All the excuses given so far by government for the delayed prosecution of alleged corrupt officials in the previous regime are not tenable. The constitution imbues only the AG and Minister of Justice with the authority to charge and prosecute people who offend the laws of the land. The NPP administration cannot continue to hold expectant Ghanaians in suspense.
The prosecutions must open now, bearing in mind the fact that prosecutions do not always lead to convictions. Since we are governed by laws that protect the rights of the innocent, the accused is supposed to have his or her day in court. They must be heard in accordance with the law of natural justice. And if found not guilty there is absolutely no shame in that for the government.
NACAP:
A few years ago stakeholders in the governance system under the auspices of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) developed the National Anti-corruption Action Plan (NACAP) to fight corruption. I predicted it would amount to nothing without the needed political will to implement it. The same way I am predicting the Special Prosecutor’s office will amount to nothing if the current administration does not make the Special Prosecutor independent of the Executive and the Minister of Justice.
If corruption allegations remain the biggest issues in our election campaigns, but nothing is done when the people change the regime alleged to be corrupt, we are likely to create the situation where, the electorate would get used to it and become apathetic.
Bawumia and Mahama must take a break, cool off and access the impact of the war of allegations and counter allegations spiced with personal attacks and insults they have triggered. If they allow the tensions to build up by their conduct, with political vigilantism fighting hard for space in our politics, we are likely to have a volatile situation by election 2020. That can be dangerous for the sustenance of our democracy. A stitch in time saves nine!
The Last Uprising
…with William Dowokpor