From political outsider to Ghana 'Mr Digital'

Mahamudu Bawumia rise from being a political outsider to become Ghana second-in-command - and on 7 December e fit make history as di kontri first Muslim president.

Bawumia, wey currently be Ghana vice-president, na from di governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) as dia candidate wey dem choose for di forthcoming general election.

Di 61-year-old Tottenham Hotspur supporter get quite di reputation.

E be intellectual wey dey educated for Oxford University, dem no dey ever see am without im signature slim, rectangular glasses and dem dey call am "Mr Digital" thanks to im pledge to make Ghana heavyweight for technology.

But sake of say e be head of di govment economic management team, many Ghanaians dey link Bawumia wit di punishing cost of living crisis dem dey experience.

If Bawumia overcome di criticism and win di election, e go replace im current boss President Nana Akufo-Addo, wey dey approach di end of im two-term limit.

"Mr Digital" bin enta di political scene for 2008 - e spark surprise.

Bawumia na one 44-year-old wey neva hold public office bifor, yet Akufo-Addo - choose am as running mate.

Bawumia papa Alhaji Mumuni bin don serve for Ghana earliest govments afta di kontri gain independence from Britain in 1957, work closely wit revered Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah.

But di younger Bawumia don forge a career in economics and banking - den serve as di deputy govnor of Ghana central bank.

To many commentators and NPP insiders, e no make any sense for Akufo-Addo to pick Bawumia over seasoned party members.

Akufo-Addo bin end up to loose di election to John Atta Mills from di National Democratic Congress (NDC) by tiny margin.

Bawumia bin lost out on di VP job - but im charismatic campaign don silence di naysayers.

"E bin fire [up] di NPP campaign. I think no-one else fit don do one better job, to be honest, in terms of di support e bin give to di NPP," Ghanaian political scientist Dr Clement Sefa-Nyarko bin tell di BBC.

Akufo-Addo and Bawumia bin give di elections anoda go for 2012. Again, dey lost.

Di NPP bin challenge di election results for di Supreme Court, choose Bawumia as dia star witness.

During di proceedings, wey dem broadcast on national television, Bawumia bin come across as funny and confident by di relentless, days-long cross-examination.

“Pipo bin dey like, who be dis guy? E really be di guy to root for," Dr Sefa-Nyarko, wey dey lecture on African leadership for King's College London tok.

Akufo-Addo bin decide to keep Bawumia on im ticket and for 2016, on dia third shot for power, di NPP bin win wit 51.3% of di vote. Bawumia finally become vice-president.

Bawumia journey to di top begin for 1963, wen e dem born am into one large family for di northern city of Tamale.

E be di 12th of im father 18 children.

Afta e bin complete primary and secondary school for Ghana, Bawumia move to di UK for undergraduate study and den go on to gain masters in economics from di prestigious Oxford University.

To support imself during im studies, e bin take up jobs as taxi driver and cleaner.

E bin return to Ghana in 2000 to work for di central bank, wia e bin work im way up to become deputy governor.

Bawumia bin campaign on im economic know-how during im attempts to become VP. Diafore, e bin face heavy criticism for Ghana fall into im most severe economic crisis in years under im watch.

Inflation hit one record 54% in December 2022 and di kontri dey forced to take one $3bn (£2.3bn) loan from di International Monetary Fund afta govment debt go up.

For reply to di criticism, Bawumia bin don tok say di economic management team e dey head no get "decision-making powers" and say e only dey provide advice to di govment.

But for many, dis no dey good enof.

"In terms of character, in terms of integrity, pipo bin start to kwesion demselves: 'Wetin be dis? How e end up hia? We think say you be di best guy, and look wia we don ended up'," Franklin Cudjoe, one Ghanaian political commentator and head of di Imani Centre for Policy and Education, tell BBC.

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Along wit im role as economist, Bawumia don also build di reputation to be one digital visionary.

Ghana digital ecosystem don see "significant growth" especially for areas like mobile phone connectivity, Charles Abani, head of di United Nations team in Ghana, bin remark last month.

Dis "remarkable digital transformation" dey "spearheaded" by Bawumia, news website African Business bin report, while Ghanaian newspaper The Chronicle bin hail Bawumia "expertise for global digital transformation".

Bawumia tok say e bin start partnership between Ghana govment and US-based company Zipline, wey bin lead to di creation of di world largest vaccine delivery network.

E tok say e bin reach out to Zipline, wey dey use drones to fly health products to hard-to-reach clinics, afta im papa die from one loss of blood.

Although dis passion for technology dey celebrated by some, odas dey more sceptical.

Oga Cudjoe tok say Bawumia don dey campaign on digitalisation rather dan to confront debates about di govment handling of di economy.

"Whether Bawumia dey in power or not, digitalisation dey bound to happen for dis kontri sake of say e don already start am anyway," Oga Cudjoe tok.

Dr Sefa-Nyarko tok of Bawumia: "Wetin don dey very successful at na to push and also claim all credit for digitalisation outcomes of di current govment."

Bawumia personal life na strength for im presidential campaign. Im wife of 20 years, Samira, na former beauty queen wey dey widely admired for her chic outfits.

Di Second Lady also dey vocal wen e come to party politics - and don embarke on campaign tours for di NPP.

Di couple get four children togeda. Dem be proud followers of Islam - one religion wey dey practised by roughly one in five Ghanaians.

Most pipo in Ghana be Christians but much evidence no dey say to come from one religious minority go hinder Bawumia election chances, Dr Sefa-Nyarko bin tok.

Di NPP don give im "full support" to Bawumia candidacy, "im Muslim faith notwithstanding", Dr Sefa-Nyarko bin add.

"Dis fit translate into widespread support across di kontri as well."

Bawumia geographical identity fit be of greater consequence dan im religion. Di vice-president na from northern Ghana, wey be one of di NDC strongest political bases.

By choosing Bawumia as dia presidential candidate, di NPP go dey hope to make inroads in di north, while e dey retain support for im heartland in di south.

Bawumia don dey go for di north, south, east and west for wetin e call di "possibilities bus", one blue and red campaign vehicle dey designed wit di slogan "e dey possible".

To some, e be di face of economic mismanagement, but di vice-president retain some of di hope e bin hold wen e be 44-year-old wey e start im eight-year battle for power.

"I get di courage to accept wen tins no go as well as planned," e bin tell voters for im manifesto.

"But I also get di mindset of possibilities, and faith in ourselves, say we fit rise and achieve great tins in our lifetime."

Additional report by di BBC Thomas Naadi for Accra