All Peoples Congress (APC) founder, Hassan Ayariga has argued that the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would only work as a ceremonial President if elected because in his opinion, he is too old.
Hassan Ayariga, popularly known as ‘Ayaricoff’ said the septuagenarian would be a ceremonial President because he would lack the ability to think while occupying the position of a President.
“Even at 70, thinking is a problem and people would think for you, which means you are just going to become a ceremonial president…,” he said on Adom FM Wednesday.
The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Akufo-Addo, while inaugurating the South African branch of the NPP, reiterated that age is not a factor when it comes to the presidency, but competence and ability to deliver count.
The 72-year-old said there are living examples in the sub-region to prove that presidents above 70 can provide solutions.
“Alassane Ouattara, who I am talking about, in Cote d’Ivoire is two years older than me. Muhammadu Buhari is three years older than me, and you see what he is doing in Nigeria,” the former foreign affairs minister told the gathering.
“The so-called young man that we have is plunging our country into a ditch. Let’s elect the so-called old man to come and take our country out of the ditch,” Nana Addo said.
But Hassan Ayariga insisted that age has everything to do with being President as according to him, Nana Addo at 70 would lose the ability to think right and propose right solutions to the country’s problems.
“Wisdom has nothing to do with age, Methuselah’s age has nothing to do with the wisdom of Solomon so its time for we the young ones to take over…can you compare the thinking of a young person to the aged...?” he quizzed.
Asked why he appeared to cough every time Nana Akufo-Addo made a submission during the 2012 Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Presidential debate, Hassan Ayariga said it was not a deliberate act.
According to him, he was not well during the debate.
“If you have ill health and cough, does it mean you did not do well at the debate…who is Nana Addo for me to cough to distract, he is a human being like everybody, Nana Addo is not God…can’t I fall sick, am I God…,” he asked.
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