Nana, Mahama too old to be president – Ayariga

Flagbearer of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga, has opined that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr Edward Mahama, flagbearers for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC), respectively, are too old to be president.

According to Hassan Ayariga, Nana Addo, 72, and Edward Mahama, 71, do not have the energy to go through punishing campaign activities ahead of the November 7 polls, adding that even if any of them eventually wins the elections, governance will be a daunting task.

Speaking in an interview with Prince Minkah, host of the Executive Breakfast Show on Class91.3FM on Tuesday May 10, Hassan Ayariga said: “Dr Mahama himself knows that he and Nana Akuffo Addo have a disadvantage in terms of their strength, they will not have the ability to move around the country to campaign,” adding: “Unless of course they decide to appear once a while to speak to the people then that will help them, but not as ‘I am moving around everywhere campaigning,’ it will not help them physically and health-wise.”

He further told host Prince Minkah that: “If the late Prof Mills [who was 68 at a time he died on the seat] had enough time to rest, I’m sure by now he would be living, but he did not. He was rather campaigning and engaged in physical activities moving from one place to the other and standing for hours to deliver speeches.”

According to him, these activities were too demanding for a person at that age.

But in a sharp rebuttal, Dr Edward Mahama told Prince Minkah that governance was not about the age of individuals but the competence and the expertise the person brings on board.

He stated that whether young or old, a person could mess up the economy of the country and so what must be given premium is competence and the abilities of a person to rule as a president.

“Not at all,” he answered, when he was asked by Prince Minkah whether he was worried about his age, explaining: “Death, which is the most fearsome end of life, does not recognise age”.

“Even at my age I can stand for four hours and do an operation,” Dr Mahama said.