Addressing supporters, Mahama took aim at Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), by highlighting what he described as Bawumia's sudden shift from his usually rapid speech to stammering when faced with tough questions from journalists. Mahama suggested that this change was a sign of Bawumia's struggle to address pressing issues with honesty. Mahama drew attention to the recent increase in the Cedi's value against the dollar and criticised the timing of Bawumia's media encounter, which he claimed was a deliberate attempt to overshadow the launch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto. Mahama argued that such strategic moves often backfire, accusing Bawumia of trying to deflect attention from the NDC's important announcements. Mahama and Bawumia Pulse Ghana "They announced a media encounter the day after we announced our manifesto launch," Mahama said. "Somebody who has been speaking 'ratatatata' like an AK-47 suddenly starts stammering at a media encounter," he added, implying that Bawumia's inability to handle questions effectively reflected his lack of preparedness and credibility on economic issues.