The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused President John Mahama of abuse of incumbency citing the President’s ‘Accounting to the people tour’ as a campaign. 

According to the second deputy Eastern regional Chair of the party, Nana Fredua Agyeman Ofori-Atta, President Mahama is using all the campaign words like “this is what we want to do when you give us power,” which makes his tours a campaign and nothing else.

“He is using state funds and time to campaign and if people want to deal with that they should because that is part of accountability,” Nana Fredua said.

Speaking on JOYNEWS’ political show Joint Caucus, Friday, he added that the President must come clear and admit this and not hide under the guise of working for the state.

Nana Fredua said, “Accounting is about incomes and expenditure or the negatives and the positives of what you have done with your budget. So far, it has been about commissioning all of the positives and talking about non-existent projects, things that haven't happened and that would happen.”

However, Presidential staffer, Samuel Nartey George said the President is carrying out his duties as president as the Constitution demands of him adding that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has not kick started its campaign yet.

“There is no subtlety in the president touring the regions. It shows he is a man of his words and a man of integrity which is scarce in the body politic of Ghana today.”

He said Ghanaians gave President Mahama the mandate to serve and there is nothing wrong with him accounting to the people and telling them with evidence what he did with the mandate.

Mr. George added that the President has run a transparent government thus far, which is evident in his acting on whistleblower complaints and investigating corrupt practices.

According to him, by the time the President is done with his ten regional tours, the campaign season would have started nationwide, although he couldn’t tell when the NDC will start its campaign.

On the issue of funds mobilization for parties in opposition, Nana Fredua said it is a good argument that funding political campaigns when a party is out of power is difficult.

He mentioned that it is attractive to support parties in power especially if people think their interest will be met at that level.

Nana Fredua disagreed with the assertion of moneybags supporting the NPP in running its campaign saying when it comes to mobilizing funds in political campaigns, everyone who donates one cedi is a moneybag and not necessarily a person with plenty money.

“We say 'ketewa biara nsua' [no donation is too small]. It is also a way of getting people together especially those who don’t get to do the activist politics, but they can help with tier widows might,” he said.