Elijah Kwame Owusu Danso, the running mate for John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has criticized Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for likening his role to that of a “driver’s mate.”
Speaking on Showbiz A-Z with Joy FM’s Kwame Dadzie, the musician-turned-politician argued that the Vice President’s role is far from ceremonial, emphasizing its importance in governance.
“Why does the constitution say that we must have a Vice President? Of course, the Vice President plays a very pivotal role. And I will explain to you why. The Vice President is also voted for, people don’t know. Because you are on the same ticket with the President,” he said.
According to Owusu Danso, many voters consider the running mate when casting their ballot, making the Vice President integral to the government. He added that the Vice President cannot shirk responsibility when the government faces challenges.
“When you look at the constitution, in the absence of the President, the Vice President is the person who acts in his stead. So the Vice President cannot extricate himself from the operations of government. So you have a role to play,” he stated.
Drawing comparisons to Dr. Bawumia’s tenure as Vice President and his leadership of the Economic Management Team, Owusu Danso questioned his approach to accountability.
“If you say that you are the driver’s mate and that gives you some level of comfort because you are going into an election, I find that to be very disingenuous and disrespectful to the Ghanaian people because we know exactly who you are. You are taking all the praise for what you describe as digitalisation but you are not taking criticism for the failure of the economy. I think that is double standards. So the driver’s mate is as important as the driver,” he remarked.
Dr. Bawumia had previously described his role as Vice President as akin to a “driver’s mate” while addressing Ghanaians in Accra on February 7, 2024. He expressed optimism about his ability to make greater impact if elected President.
“As Vice-President, I am like a driver’s mate. But if, by the Grace of God, you make me President, I will be in the driver’s seat with constitutionally mandated authority to pursue my vision and my priorities,” Dr. Bawumia said.
He added, “Clearly, the initial conditions that we inherited in 2017 are not the same as will be in 2025. Therefore, my priorities will be different. We have done many good things and I will be seeking to build on them.”
Owusu Danso, also a lawyer, broadcaster, and PR consultant, pledged to resign as Vice President if the Movement for Change government fails to deliver on its promises. He believes Alan Kyerematen has the solutions to Ghana’s pressing challenges and is confident in his ability to transform the lives of Ghanaians if elected.