President Nana Akufo-Addo has taken a swipe at the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, following his comments that he has become a lame duck president following the election of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate.
Rejecting the tag, President Akufo-Addo said he was still president till 2025.
“Speaker Bagbin says I am a lame duck. Well, that is his language. I am still the President of the Republic and I will continue to do so until January 7, 2025,” President Akufo-Addo said.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had asserted that the President was losing loyalty from key personalities in the NPP, including MPs, after the Vice President became the flagbearer of the party.
But speaking at a meeting with chiefs and residents of Nima in Accra, during the celebration to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Alhaji Farl becoming the Chief of Nima as Nii Futa, President Akufo-Addo said he is still in charge of the country until January 7, 2025.
“… I have no doubt that the power to make decisions and to carry out policies is still firmly in my hands, and I am not going to let it go. So, I don’t know what he is talking about when he says I am a lame duck president. I am not a lame duck president,” he insisted.
The Speaker, who was speaking on the floor of Parliament in November, urged the government to collaborate with the Minority to avoid potential stalemates.
“I expect the Majority who have a limping Majority Leader, limping because when you look at his back you’re less than those in front of you.
“You have a lame duck president, a lame duck because you have elected a flagbearer and loyalty and commitment are shifting. So your president is now lame duck president.
“You need this side of the House to support you to finish your eight years. And so if you don’t behave well we have a difficulty in proceeding as a nation,” he said.
However, President Akufo-Addo has affirmed that he remains in charge of the country until January 7, 2025, as prescribed by the constitution.
Source: A Daily Guide Report
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Yes, the Speaker is a lawyer, but he seems to forget the importance of his position, being the third in command when the President is not there. In fact, if I were him, I'd be much more careful about what I say. I think if he knew, he would not talk like the boys with sharp teeth sometimes. You see, there is a huge difference between being competent by virtue of your formal education as a lawyer, speaker and being able to articulate well in the Queen's language, English, which does not necessarily equate to competence. Often some Ghanaians mix the two and give positions to unqualified people.
The question posed to the President on the economy at the NPP primaries and the answer given by the President that the venue was not appropriate for that question leaves much to be desired by the critics of the President. I believe the answer was correct given the venue and the purpose of the President's presence. But those who should know better have lost their reason. Even the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament cannot be expected to know whether or not it is appropriate to indulge in opposition political polemics. What I'm trying to draw our attention to is the kind of politicians and journalists we have in our multi-party political space. They seem to underestimate the intelligence of the Ghanaian electorate, otherwise they would not be making certain pronouncements, not even the Speaker.
@KB, How many times do you want to admit that things are hard. The president has said on countless times about the hard times in the country. Are not in Ghana? haven't you heard the president saying so? I can recall he has said this so many times in his numerous address to ta nation during the covid and post covid periods. Has the journalist also not heard the president saying so? he was doing the bidding of hid paymasters that's was why the president gave him that answer.
Akuffo Addo can sometimes be very difficult to understand, at the recently held NPP's presidential primaries you (Akuffo Addo) was at the headquarters of the NPP to vote. A journalist asked you a very simple question about how you will describe the current state of the Ghanaian economy, will so many easy answers at your disposal you chose to respond by saying the one who is coming to take over from you will make things better. This was a clear admission of failure on your part. Why won't Bagbin say you are a lame duck, What prevented you from saying you agree times are hard but that government was working 24/7 to restore the economy. You (Akuffo Addo) is your own problem. Your action and inactions have made you a laughing stock in the eyes of John Mahama/NDC if you don't know. It's like you don't have positive jealousy in you. We thought you would have acted in ways to outperform John Mahama but the direct opposite is the case. You have come to more than double all the things you accused Mahama of. Rather unfortunate.