Former president John Mahama has exchanged jibes on Twitter with one of president Akufo-Addo’s closest confidantes, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko over a campaign poster.

Gabby was first to cast an acerbic stone over the poster which appeared to suggest that a new government under Mahama will rescue Ghana’s democracy from such things as an “elephant size government” and the financial, health, agric and health sectors.

In commenting on the poster, Gabby questioned the competence of the John Mahama campaign, and, appeared to raise doubts about the competence of the candidate himself, raising the spectre of a possible repeat of one of the campaign slogans that was used in the 2016 election cycle: “incompetent Mahama”.

“Clearly, incompetence can be both chronic & incurable, transcending electoral cycles,” he wrote, suggesting that the incompetence, which in the eyes of the ruling party, afflicted Mahama’s government between 2012 and 2016, has not yet been cured.

Clearly incompetence can be both chronic & incurable, transcending electoral cycles. How can any serious alternative govt promise to rescue democracy from financial sector, health sector and agric sector? What will be left? Whoever is leading NDC campaign publicity doesn’t get it pic.twitter.com/VRLKst3CV6

— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) July 30, 2020

“How can any serious alternative government promise to rescue democracy from the financial sector, health sector and agric sector?” What will be left?” Gabby asked. “Whoever is leading the NDC campaign publicity doesn’t get it.”

It didn’t take long for John Mahama (or his campaign team) to hit back, attaching a screenshot of Gabby’s remarks to the former President’s response on Twitter.

“Clearly some psychosis can lead to unrestrained obsession,” Mr. Mahama wrote. “The ad referred to is not official & it’s obvious to all. Besides, I thought our ‘PM’ would be busy with weightier matters of state than an amateur ad put out by an overly enthusiastic supporter of our party.”

Clearly some psychosis can lead to unrestrained obsession. The ad referred to is not official & it’s obvious to all. Besides, I thought our ‘PM’ would be busy with weightier matters of state than an amateur ad put out by an overly enthusiastic supporter of our party. pic.twitter.com/qxAnHVM1mw

— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) July 31, 2020

The ‘PM’ reference in Mahama’s response is in relation to a popular belief in political circles that Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko is such a powerful figure in the Akufo-Addo government that his functions in the administration could be likened to that of a Prime Minister.

In a riposte, Gabby insinuated that the former President who's seeking his job back should rather be the one getting himself "busier with weightier matters."

For a “nice man” like John Mahama his obsession with “psychotic” me outweighs his feigned concern over the concerns of Ghanaians. One would have thought he would be busier with weightier matters. Anaa? https://t.co/7WJ2Xfo835

— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) July 31, 2020