President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has denied accusations of being a “lame-duck president” following the selection of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate for the 2024 election.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had suggested a decline in loyalty from key party figures, including MPs, towards President Akufo-Addo.
Addressing a gathering of chiefs and residents in Nima, Accra, President Akufo-Addo asserted his continued authority.
“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. I have no doubt that the power to make decisions and 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,” President Akufo-Addo insisted.
Responding to concerns raised by the chief of Nima about the underrepresentation of the Zongo community in high positions, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the opportunity presented by the election of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
He noted that by electing Bawumia as president, his wife, Samira Bawumia, a Zongo girl, would become the first lady, marking a historic moment for the Zongo community.
In November, Speaker Alban Bagbin had labelled President Akufo-Addo as a “lame duck” during a parliamentary session. Bagbin expressed concerns about loyalty shifts within the party, stating, “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 a lame-duck president.”
President Akufo-Addo, however, remains resolute in his position, refuting the characterization and affirming his commitment to lead the country until January 7, 2025.
NKONKONSA.com