The recent Thank You Tour undertaken by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has reignited concerns over disloyalty within the New Patriotic Party (NPP), raising serious questions about credibility, integrity, and collective responsibility.
During what has been dubbed his “justification tour,” Bawumia’s statements have painted a troubling picture of a leader eager to distance himself from the very administration and party that elevated him.
Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, an NPP loyalist and former government spokesperson, did not mince words when he criticized the former Vice President’s conduct.
“Bawumia’s actions betray a ‘troubling pattern of disloyalty and inconsistency toward the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and President Nana Akufo-Addo,’ a development that undermines the unity and credibility of the administration he once served.”
Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah
Boakye-Danquah asserted that Bawumia’s attempt to dissociate himself from the government’s policies—particularly its failures—is both disingenuous and opportunistic.
“Bawumia’s claim that he opposed the E-levy, a highly controversial tax policy, is inconsistent with his silence during its introduction and passage, despite public outcry and its significant impact on Ghanaians.”
Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah
It is hard to ignore the contradictions. As a key member of the Economic Management Team, Bawumia had ample opportunity to object to the E-levy or steer the conversation in a different direction.
Yet he chose silence. Only now, amid political headwinds, does he profess opposition—a move Boakye-Danquah deemed politically convenient rather than principled.
Thank You Tour Exposes Troubling Inconsistencies
Bawumia’s selective distancing goes beyond the E-levy. His failure to address the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP)—which inflicted real financial pain on pensioners and ordinary Ghanaians—speaks volumes.
According to Boakye-Danquah, implying he was not responsible for the DDEP “reeks of opportunism and undermines the administration’s collective accountability.”
Even more damning is Bawumia’s alleged blame-shifting regarding the country’s economic hardships.
The skyrocketing cost of living, worsened by petrol price hikes just three days before the 2024 elections, cannot be pinned solely on President Akufo-Addo.
According to him, Bawumia, after all, was no “bystander” but a central figure in the government’s economic architecture.
His self-portrayal as a mere “driver’s mate” is viewed by critics as a convenient escape hatch from responsibility.
Boakye-Danquah also pointed to glaring inconsistencies in Bawumia’s earlier boasts versus his current narrative.
While he once championed initiatives like the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO)—which eventually collapsed, leaving thousands stranded—he now remains silent about its failure.
Similarly, his indifference to the non-payment of caterers under the School Feeding Programme and workers in the afforestation program starkly contrasts with his previous endorsements of these programs.
The disloyalty narrative is further compounded by Bawumia’s critique of key projects like the National Cathedral and the administration’s handling of galamsey (illegal mining).
Boakye-Danquah underscored the hypocrisy: these were central to Akufo-Addo’s governance agenda, yet Bawumia now seeks to distance himself when public sentiment has soured.
The credibility gap widens with Bawumia’s claim of ignorance about the petrol price hike—a claim Boakye-Danquah finds implausible.
He argued that a Vice President embedded deeply within the government could not plausibly have been unaware, suggesting either negligence or calculated detachment.
Bawumia’s Approach To Internal Politics Slammed Amid Accusations of Disloyalty
Furthermore, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah also criticized Bawumia’s approach to the party’s internal structures, suggesting it raises serious concerns.
He noted that Bawumia’s rejection of the delegates’ system—the very framework that secured his position as NPP flagbearer—demonstrates a troubling readiness to abandon party processes once they no longer align with his personal agenda.
Moreover, Dr. Boakye-Danquah indicated that Bawumia’s accusations of “arrogance of power” within government appear to implicitly target President Akufo-Addo himself, the mentor who nurtured his political career. For many within the NPP, this apparent betrayal is the final straw.
“By framing the NPP’s 2024 election loss as a result of internal failures and low voter turnout, while dismissing religious or tribal factors, Bawumia conveniently sidesteps his own role in the party’s unpopularity, including his inability to inspire confidence amid economic mismanagement. A party he has been number 2 for 16 years.”
Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah
Ultimately, Dr. Boakye-Danquah framed Bawumia’s Thank You Tour not as an act of gratitude, but as a calculated effort to rewrite history—to scapegoat President Akufo-Addo and the NPP while salvaging his own political ambitions.
The real question for Ghanaians now is whether they will buy into this revisionist history. As Boakye-Danquah emphasizes, the public deserves a leader who owns their role in both successes and failures, not one who shifts blame when convenient.
In an era where citizens are increasingly demanding accountability, disloyalty may prove a fatal flaw no amount of touring can cure.
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