Bawumia Was Not in Charge of the Economy; Ofori-Atta Should Be Blamed — Adwoa Safo

Former Dome-Kwabenya MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has called on delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to reject claims that former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was responsible for the party’s economic challenges while in government, insisting he remains the strongest contender to lead the party.

She argued that Dr Bawumia’s influence over economic management was limited and that he should not be made a scapegoat for decisions he neither controlled nor implemented.

Speaking to party delegates, Adwoa Safo pointed to the central role played by former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in shaping and executing economic policy, stressing that accountability should rest where executive authority truly lay.

“Was Dr Bawumia the Finance Minister?” she asked. “Did we not witness MPs openly calling for a change of finance minister because of economic mismanagement? If so, how can we now turn around and blame Bawumia for the damage that was done?”

She further noted that the former Vice President did not have the power to overturn decisions taken at the highest levels of government, likening his role to that of a co-driver with no authority to take control of the wheel.

“He was only the driver’s mate. Even if the driver was failing, he could not overrule him,” she stated.

Her remarks come amid growing debate within the NPP’s ongoing presidential primaries, where some aspirants have blamed Dr Bawumia for the party’s economic record in government.

The NPP is set to elect its flagbearer on January 31, 2026, ahead of the general elections. Dr Bawumia is contesting the slot alongside Kennedy Agyapong, Dr Bryan Acheampong, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, and former NPP General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong.