Former Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has urged delegates of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to reject claims that former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was responsible for Ghana’s recent economic difficulties, during the NPP’s administration insisting that the blame lies primarily with former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Speaking to party delegates amid ongoing debates ahead of the NPP’s presidential primaries, Adwoa Safo argued that Dr Bawumia’s role in economic decision-making under the Akufo-Addo administration was limited and did not grant him authority over fiscal policy.
She pointed specifically to Ken Ofori-Atta, who served as Finance Minister for more than six years, as the key architect of the economic policies that led to Ghana’s fiscal challenges.
“Was Dr Bawumia the finance minister?” she asked. “Were we not in government when Members of Parliament openly complained that the economy was being mismanaged and demanded a change of finance minister? Didn’t the damage already occur before he was eventually removed? So how can we turn around and blame Bawumia?”
Adwoa Safo described Dr Bawumia as having little power to overrule decisions taken at the highest level of government, despite his position as Vice President.
“He was only the driver’s mate,” she said. “And the driver was in full control. Even if the driver was not performing well, the mate could not take over the steering.”
Her comments come amid mounting criticism from some NPP flagbearer aspirants who have linked the party’s poor economic record in government to Dr Bawumia’s leadership as head of the Economic Management Team.
Adwoa Safo, however, dismissed such claims as politically motivated, accusing critics of unfairly shifting responsibility away from those who wielded real power.
She also alluded to ongoing public controversy surrounding Ken Ofori-Atta, who has been accused by critics of leaving the country amid calls for investigations into his stewardship of the economy—claims his supporters have denied.
The NPP is expected to elect its presidential candidate on January 31, 2026, ahead of the next general elections. Dr Bawumia is one of five aspirants vying for the party’s flagbearer position.
The others include former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong, former Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr Bryan Acheampong, former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, and former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyapong.
As internal contestation intensifies, Adwoa Safo cautioned the party against scapegoating Dr Bawumia for decisions made under President Akufo-Addo’s leadership, warning that such a narrative could weaken the NPP’s chances in the 2026 elections.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
