Bawumia Criticizes NDC and Mahama at Saboba Rally, Calls for Change in December Elections

The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on Ghanaians to vote decisively against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, in the upcoming December 7 general elections.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Saboba on Saturday, November 23, 2024, Bawumia accused the NDC of neglecting the five northern regions during its time in power and mismanaging resources meant for development.

Bawumia criticised the implementation of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), a flagship initiative of the NDC government which aimed at boosting development in the north. He alleged that funds meant for transformative projects were squandered on poorly conceived programmes, including the infamous guinea fowl farming venture, which he claimed yielded no tangible benefits for the people.

Bawumia did not mince words in his critique of Mahama, whom he accused of presiding over the mismanagement of hundreds of millions of Ghana cedis allocated to SADA. He pointed to the lack of visible development projects in the five northern regions as evidence of the NDC’s failure to deliver on its promises.

He resurrected the controversy surrounding SADA’s guinea fowl project, which became a symbol of alleged corruption and inefficiency during the Mahama administration. He mocked the NDC’s alleged explanation that the guinea fowls had flown to Burkina Faso, a claim that has since been a point of ridicule in Ghanaian political discourse.

“In this election, there are two of us, isn’t it? Myself and the former president. During his time, all the money, hundreds of millions that were given to him [John Dramani Mahama] to develop the north, he said he was raring guinea fowls. Guinea fowls under SADA and we have not seen one SADA project in the five northern regions. Is there a SADA project in Saboba? We asked him, where are the guinea fowls and he said they have flown to Burkina Faso. And today, he says he wants to come back. Do you want him to come back?”