National chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has dodged bullets meant for him by the 2028 flabearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
It all started when the former vice president, called out the NDC and it national chairman, over certain issues he deemed were bothering Ghanaians and needed a response from the party.
Dr Bawumia while addressing the 40th anniversary celebration of the Seventh Day Adventist Church Ghana in Sunyani, in the Bono Region, said Ghanaians were very concerned about the price of cocoa which has been slashed due to a crash at the world market, the power cuts aka dumsor among others.
General Mosquito as he is affectionately called was not present when the plethora of issues were tabled by the NPP flagbearer. He therefore tasked the church to give his message tos the NDC chair when he arrives.
“When I was coming I was told I will met General Mosquito, Asiedu Nketiah here, but I am told he has not come yet but when I leave he will come. When I was coming I was given a message to give to him.
Cocoa farmers say they owe them, cashew farmers say I should inform Asiedu Nketiah that they owe them. Maize farmers say they owe them and soya bean farmers say I should tell them they owe them.
The youth also say they are waiting for the 24-hour economy initiative. And Ghanaians say I should inform him that the power cuts they have reinstructed they owe them a lot. So when he arrives give this message to him for me, he said.
Moments later when the two were seen exchanging pleasantries when the NDC leader arrived before he also mounted the stage to address the congregation in a very hilarious manner.
When it reached his turn to address the waiting church members, to speak in a political manner and address the issues he raised by Dr Bawumia one after the other, he cleverly opted to veer off to the disappointment of who wanted him to go on that tangent.
According to him, Dr Bawumia chose the wrong place to raise the issues because the platform was meant for church service not politics.
In his usual witty fashion, Chairman General, as he sometimes called said it was inappropriate for the former Vice President to be beaten outside and go and vent his anger at his innocent wife at the kitchen. He asked the church to pray and forgive the NPP team.
“Every gathering has it reason so if you go out and someone beats you and you are unable to fight back and he beats you ruthlessly, then you go home and vent your frustration on your wife, then that is wrong.
So my brothers and sister, my brothers who came earlier that turned a church service into politics pray for them and give them”, he said as the whole place was thrown into laughter.
By inference, it was wrong for Dr Bawumia to all of a sudden wake up after being given a sound beating by President John Mahama in the 2024 general election and only come at a church service in 2026 to lament about a so called challenges.
While Dr Bawumia has been elected ahead of time as the flagbearer of the NPP, the NDC is yet to choose its own candidate for the 2028 election.
The NDC chairman is said to be interested in leading the party for the next election as flagbearer. He has not announced his candidature because it is not yet time for the NDC to do so. Some say this is just a dress rehearsal as the two may likely meet on the ballot paper.
By Gifty Boateng