Godwin Eduzi Tameklo, the Director of Legal Affairs for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has vehemently criticized former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for comments he made regarding the death of former Akwatia Member of Parliament (MP), Ernest Kumi. The controversy stems from Dr. Bawumia’s alleged suggestion that a legal petition filed by Lawyer Bernard Bediako Baidoo contributed to the late MP’s demise. This statement, captured in a widely circulated video, has sparked outrage, with Tameklo accusing Bawumia of exploiting a family’s grief for political mileage.
Tameklo’s condemnation centers on the principle of election petitions as a legitimate legal recourse enshrined in the 1992 Constitution. He argues that these petitions are designed to resolve electoral disputes peacefully, preventing recourse to self-help and violence. By insinuating a link between the petition and Kumi’s death, Bawumia, according to Tameklo, trivializes the importance of this legal mechanism and politicizes a personal tragedy. Tameklo further highlighted the hypocrisy of Bawumia’s stance, reminding the public of Bawumia’s own involvement in the 2012 election petition, where he, alongside Nana Akufo-Addo and the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, challenged John Dramani Mahama’s victory in a protracted eight-month Supreme Court battle. This personal history, Tameklo argues, underscores the insensitivity and opportunism of Bawumia’s remarks concerning Kumi’s death.
Tameklo went on to draw parallels between the case of the late MP and the ongoing legal challenges faced by Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson. He accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of relentlessly pursuing Quayson through legal proceedings between 2020 and 2024. This, in Tameklo’s view, demonstrates a pattern of using legal processes as a political weapon, further highlighting the NPP’s alleged strategy of employing legal means to harass political opponents. He criticized this approach as a corrosive practice that undermines the integrity of the legal system and the principles of fair play within the political landscape.
Tameklo’s critique of Bawumia extends beyond the immediate issue of the late MP, encompassing a broader condemnation of what he characterizes as Bawumia’s history of divisive political tactics. He recalled an instance where Bawumia allegedly “weaponized religion” for political gain by advocating for a Muslim Vice President, suggesting this was done to ensure the presence of a Qur’an at swearing-in ceremonies. This, according to Tameklo, exemplifies Bawumia’s tendency to exploit sensitive issues for short-term political advantage, disregarding the long-term consequences of such divisive rhetoric. Tameklo attributes Bawumia’s electoral losses in predominantly Muslim communities, with the exception of Winneba, to this pattern of politically expedient but ultimately detrimental strategies.
The core of Tameklo’s argument rests on the assertion that Bawumia’s commentary on Ernest Kumi’s death represents a new low in political discourse. He posits that Bawumia’s actions are emblematic of a larger trend of exploiting personal tragedies and sensitive issues for political gain, thereby undermining the integrity of both the legal and political processes. The allusion to Bawumia’s own involvement in the 2012 election petition serves to emphasize the perceived hypocrisy of his current stance. By drawing a comparison with the ongoing legal challenges faced by James Gyakye Quayson, Tameklo seeks to illustrate a broader pattern of what he describes as politically motivated legal harassment.
In essence, Tameklo paints a picture of Bawumia as a politician who prioritizes short-term political expediency over long-term societal harmony. He accuses Bawumia of consistently crossing the line of decency in pursuit of political advantage, citing examples related to religious manipulation and the exploitation of personal tragedies. This, according to Tameklo, explains Bawumia’s electoral losses in predominantly Muslim communities, suggesting a rejection of his brand of divisive politics. The condemnation of Bawumia’s remarks on Kumi’s death thus becomes a microcosm of a larger critique of his political approach, one that Tameklo argues is characterized by opportunism and a disregard for ethical boundaries.
