Akufo-Addo's poor performance makes him run away from debate - Amaliba

Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer is simply running away from debating President John Mahama.

Abraham Amaliba says Nana Akufo-Addo's performance at the last presidential debate in 2012 was nothing to write home so he does not see him having a one-on-one debate with the President.

"It is clear that Nana Addo ran away with his tails in between his legs because he knows that moving away from the general rhetorics and coming to the specifics, there was no way he could challenge the President," he said.

Speaking on Joy FM/MutliTV's news analysis program, Newsfile, Saturday, he said that is the reason Nana Akufo-Addo is beating a retreat from such debates.

The President repeated his challenge to Nana Akufo-Addo for a one-on-one debate after watching the US presidential debate Wednesday.

Speaking on Volta Star Radio in the Volta Region where he is campaigning, Thursday, Mr Mahama said Ghanaians deserve to hear the arguments for change or continuation before the vote on December 7.

Spokesperson of Nana Akufo-Addo, Mustapha Hamid, shot down the possibility of a debate saying the NPP leader means business and would not debate a President he describes as not being able to maintain his position on any issue in the country.

“No we don’t accept such challenges that are thrown in the air merely for propaganda purposes,” he said.

However, Mr Amaliba maintains that on the last Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) debate platform in 2012 the NPP presidential candidate was so engrossed in his free senior high school (SHS) policy to the degree that he answered a non-related question with the policy.

"When asked how he was going to deduce maternal mortality, he says with free SHS. So when it come to the nitty gritty and to discuss how this economy is performing, I am sure that is where Nana Akufo-Addo falls short," he noted.

In a sharp dissent, policy adviser of the NPP, Robert Ahomka Lindsay who also spoke on the show did not see a reason for a debate with the election some six weeks away.

"To be honest with you, a question would always need to be asked, what is the value of a debate at this stage of the debate given that all the manifestos are out. People are now busy with a village to village marketing of their message to the people," he observed.

Mr Ahomka said, the party is strategically working to cover every nook and cranny of the country with their message and there is no time to waste debating.

He said people should disabuse their minds of Nana Akufo-Addo running away as they earlier the party "was very much ready but was said no to."