- The NPP may boycott the IEA debate if NDC’s John Mahama does not attend
- Miracles Aboagye argues that without Mahama, the debate lacks value and relevance
- The IEA has scheduled its presidential debates for October 22 and November 19, 2024
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, spokesperson for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s 2024 campaign team from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has suggested that the party might boycott the presidential debate organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) scheduled for October and November 2024.
Aboagye emphasized that the NPP will only participate if John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), also attends.
He stated that a debate without Mahama would be meaningless, despite the presence of over 19 candidates in the 2024 race.
In a September 13, 2024, interview, Miracles Aboagye argued that “debating yourself” would not be productive and highlighted that typically, debates involve the leading candidates.
He stressed that a debate involving only one leading candidate does not serve the voters’ interests and questioned the value of a debate with multiple lesser-known candidates.
The NDC has already declared that Mahama will not participate in any debates with Bawumia.
In contrast, the IEA has announced the schedule for its presidential and vice-presidential debates, with the first presidential debate set for October 22, 2024, and the second on November 19, 2024. The vice-presidential debate is slated for November 5, 2024.
