Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has sharply criticised former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia over claims that he was sidelined during the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration led by President Nana Akufo-Addo, describing the narrative as unconvincing to floating voters and politically damaging.
According to Kpebu, Dr. Bawumia’s assertion that he was excluded from key decision-making does not resonate with undecided voters and those in the political middle. He argued that if the former Vice President was truly sidelined, he should have resigned from office rather than remain in government.
“If you were sidelined, who forced you to stay on the train?” Kpebu asked. “You could have jumped ship, but you stayed—clearly for some benefit. That alone undermines your credibility.”
Kpebu stressed that Dr. Bawumia cannot distance himself from the failures of the Akufo-Addo administration while simultaneously admitting he remained part of it. He argued that staying in office while claiming exclusion suggests personal or political gain, making the claim even more damaging.
He further alleged that while Dr. Bawumia insists he was not part of what he described as the ‘mess,’ he continued to receive a salary, while close relatives benefited from government-linked contracts and opportunities. Kpebu cited claims that Dr. Bawumia’s brothers were awarded cocoa roads contracts, and that a relative of his wife, Samira Bawumia, allegedly received scholarship funds to study in London but did not travel, resulting in a loss of public funds.
Kpebu questioned whether those funds had been refunded, arguing that such issues raise serious concerns about accountability and the ability of Dr. Bawumia and his team to protect the public purse.
“These are red flags,” he said. “If money can disappear under such circumstances, it raises doubts about how public resources would be handled under his leadership.”
Kpebu’s comments come in the wake of the New Patriotic Party delegates’ decision to elect Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the party’s flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.
Sorry: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku