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On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, Dr. Bawumia outlined his vision for Ghana, should he become President, at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) and made a statement that he is not in charge of the governance: “As Vice President, I am a driver’s mate, but if you vote for me, I’ll take the driver’s seat.”
This statement has generated a lot of political discussion with different interpretations of the ”driver and mate” analogy.
A renowned politician and academia Dr Christian Adu-Poku, has analyzed ”The Driver and Mate” comprehensively.
According to him, every political season brings its own terms, jargon, and scenarios in anticipation of explaining issues to the electorate. Such is the term we are experiencing in the 2024 election season.
Dr. Bawumia, the presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has stated that he is the driver’s mate, and for that matter, major policies are not taken by him. He postulates that, given the opportunity to sit by the steering wheel, he will drive Ghana to the promised land.
In sharp contrast, supporters of former President John Mahama and the NDC party see it otherwise. They are of the view that the Vice President was more of a spare driver than a driver’s mate. They further postulate that John Dramani Mahama was a spare driver who aided President Atta Mills in executing his vision.
In this article, “l will attempt to break this into different scenarios for an easy understanding of the issue at stake. This analogy between the two political parties will be analyzed critically to see who is making the best judgement and which of the two Ghanaians should accept it.”.
Ghana and its citizens are now personified as car owners. If that is so then the judgement of Ghanaians will determine who wins this year’s elections.
Spare Driver
Who is a spare driver? A spare driver is a driver who has undergone equal training as the substantive driver. A spare driver is seen as experienced just as the original driver, and he can handle a car as it’s supposed to be.
A spare driver needs no direction from anyone in his quest to drive. He is mature enough and can handle situations of any kind as they appear. The following are some of the factors that make a person a spare driver:
. He lost his car in an accident.
. Or, he has been sacked by his car owner through mismanagement or negligence.
. Or has been sacked for failure to adhere to the instructions of the owner.
. He is a spare because his car has gotten spoiled.
. Or, his car is in the fitting shop, and in order not to become idle, he offers himself to become a spare driver.
The factors above necessitate a driver to become a spare driver. Of course, there might be other factors, but the above are the common ones that necessitate one to become a spare driver.
These factors will surely be compared to the former president, whether they match or not.
This scenario will focus on a driver’s mate.
A driver’s mate is an apprentice or a learner who practices under the tutelage of the substantive driver. The following are the factors that qualify one to become a driver’s mate.
. Eagerness to learn the driving profession.
. readiness to take instructions from the driver.
. Being prepared to be honest and truthful at all times.
. Being prepared to be obedient at all times.
. Being prepared to attend errands all the time
. Being bold and courageous to hold the steering wheel and drive.
A driver’s mate has no right whatsoever to act on his own unless instructed by the driver.
The driver makes the final decision. Drivers most of the time go in for mates with the above attributes.
By Enock Baffoe/uniquenewsgh.com
