Former President John Dramani Mahama has stated that Ghanaians can hold the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) accountable only if the party is voted out of office in the 2024 general election.

He alleged during his “Thank you Tour” of the Upper West Region that the incumbent government has stolen from the Ghanaian taxpayer, hence a change in government; a vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will help expose such acts.

Mr John Mahama made the statement in Wa whilst addressing regional, constituency, branch executives and supporters of the opposition party.

‘‘The NPP have no intention of fighting corruption and so the only way they can be made to account to the people of Ghana is for them to leave office so that the new government will come and audit them and show where they have gone wrong. Otherwise, all the money they have stolen, they will just walk away with it.

“If you participate in politics or are a participant in public service, one of the first things you must be willing to do is to be accountable to the people. The only way they could be accountable is for them to leave office so that the people of Ghana can ask them questions and audit them to make sure they account for the period they were in office,’’ he stated.

He commended the media in the Upper West Region for putting up their best despite working under difficult conditions stating that “We know jobs are not easy but you have continued to be true to your profession,”

‘‘This is a President and government that like praise-singing and they cannot tolerate criticisms. If you criticize them, they come after you,” he added.

The 2020 NDC Presidential Candidate also used the platform to thank supporters of the party for the warm welcome given him and his team upon their arrival in Wa on Sunday night.

For Mr John Mahama, the rousing welcome accorded him, shows the strength of the NDC in the region.

He pledged that in the next general elections, the NDC will work assiduously to win all 11 parliamentary seats in the region.

Ex-President Mahama said this after he noted that the NDC increased its parliamentary seats from six to eight and had 67 per cent of the presidential votes in the 2020 general elections.