Criticism has arisen over Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia‘s political strategy, with Professor Kobby Mensah, a lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of communication deployed by Bawumia’s team.
The critique, posted on X on February 7, 2024, highlighted the perceived failure in positively projecting the Vice President after his recent lecture outlining his vision if elected president.
Professor Mensah, a consistent critic of Bawumia‘s political candidature, pointed out a notable observation. Despite addressing various issues in his lecture, Bawumia’s statement regarding his role as not being in full charge of the government machinery gained more attention, particularly through the analogy of a driver’s mate.
This trend on social media overshadowed the substantive issues raised in the lecture.
The driver’s mate analogy served as Bawumia’s anchor, emphasizing that, if given the opportunity as president, he would carve out his distinct path. However, the aftermath of the statement saw Bawumia trending more for the analogy than for the crucial aspects of his vision.
In his critical post, Professor Mensah suggested that Bawumia’s political strategists should consider a pay cut for what he deemed an “awful job done.”
He emphasized that the Vice President could only trend as a “Mate,” and even the digitalization initiatives presented failed to gain substantial traction.
While supporters of the government defended Bawumia‘s analogy, asserting his influence in the Akufo-Addo administration, the opposition seized the opportunity to criticize the Vice President.
Accusations were hurled, alleging that Bawumia had distanced himself from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo due to perceived incompetence and political expediency.
As the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Bawumia gears up for the 2024 presidential elections, where he will compete against former President John Dramani Mahama. Having served as vice president since 2017, Bawumia aims to secure the presidency in 2025.
The critiques on his recent communication strategy have raised questions about the effectiveness of his campaign messaging.