Fatimatu Abubakar, Minister -designate for Information, says Dr Bawumia is not the first Veep to use the “Driver’s mate” analogy adding that John Dramani, and Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) also used similar analogy.
This comes after Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, called on Ghanaians to vote for him as the next president to give him the mandate to implement policies that will grow the country.
Addressing the nation on Wednesday, February 7, in Accra, Bawumia said he has learnt lessons from the seven years of the Akufo-Addo government and reviewed his visions for the country.
“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.”
“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,” he noted.
The vice President came under come criticism after making the Driver’s mate analogy.
Reacting to the issue on Atinka TV’s “Agenda show” with host Nana Fianko, Minister designate for Information Fatimatu Abubakar mentioned that the Former President Mahama used the mate analogy during IEA debate in 2012.
“When Mahama went to the IEA debate ahead of the 2012 elections, he asked Ghanaians to give him the opportunity to lead the country because as the spare driver, he was not the one managing the affairs of the country. Dr Bawumia is also saying that he is like a driver’s mate. Of course former President Mahama has never been a spare driver, Vice President Bawumia has also never been a driver’s mate. The two leaders used the analogy figuratively.”
“They both used the analogy because just like our Constitution says, all executive powers are vested in the President of the Republic who will exercise such powers in accordance with the Constitution and so all others execute their duties in advisory capacity,” Fatimatu Abubakar told Fianko.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu
