Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has criticized John Dramani Mahama, his counterpart from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for refusing to participate in a debate with him.

In response, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, spokesperson for the John Mahama Campaign Team, stated that there is no necessity for a debate between Mahama and Bawumia.

Speaking to supporters during the second leg of his nationwide campaign in Nalerigu on Thursday, July 11, Dr. Bawumia accused Mahama of evading the debate, alleging that he would expose Mahama's impractical promises and confidently defeat him.

He labelled Mahama as “empty as an empty barrel”.“I’m looking forward to a debate with John Mahama on the economy, the governance, the country, but I’m afraid he’s running away from a debate. Isn’t it? His people are saying he doesn’t want to debate, he doesn’t want to debate because he knows I will expose the emptiness of his policies, he says he has a 24- economy that he cannot explain.”“He’s as empty as an empty barrel. He cannot explain it, none of his people can explain it. They say they will be exporting lions and elephants. But when we meet man-to-man, we can debate, and the country will see where our policies lie.

And that is where we should go. We should give the country an opportunity to listen to us. But if he refuses, I will continue to sell my policies to the country, and they will take a decision.”