During his tour of the Greater Accra Region on Thursday, October 17, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate John Dramani Mahama took a direct jab at President Nana Akufo-Addo.

Speaking to supporters in the Ningo Prampram Constituency, Mahama suggested that the president might be "sleeping" or absent from the country, as he responded to recent comments made by Akufo-Addo on pertinent national issues.

Mr Mahama’s remarks came in response to President Akufo-Addo’s challenge for him to clarify his stance on the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy.

• Read also: Mahama’s position on Free SHS not clear; don’t vote for him – Akufo-Addo to Ghanaians

The President had questioned Mahama’s commitment to the programme, suggesting that the former president’s inconsistent statements indicated he could not be trusted with the future of the Free SHS.

Speaking to his audience, Mr Mahama hinted that his position on Free SHS had been clearly articulated, but President Akufo-Addo may not have been paying attention. "When you stop sleeping, you’ll hear clearly my position on Free SHS," Mahama said, addressing the president’s call for him to provide a straightforward answer on the matter.

He added that the next NDC government will tackle the implementation challenges of the Free SHS programme.

"I have made it clear that there are implementation problems with the Free SHS because there is no dedicated source of funding, parents are also not happy with the double track system, also the quality of food the children are being given is not good, and so I have said that the NDC is coming to power and fix these three things," he added.

The back-and-forth between the two political leaders comes as the Free SHS debate remains a significant issue ahead of the December election.

Mr Mahama’s comments suggest that he feels the President is out of touch with his public statements, further intensifying the political rivalry as the election season heats up.