A Professor at the Political Science Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Samuel Adu Gyamfi, has said that Former President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, flagbearers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP)respectively, will choose a running mate who will be able to bring numbers to their votes.
He stated that a lot of considerations go into the selection of the vice presidential candidate.
“They wouldn’t just pick anyone,” he said on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Thursday, November 23.
He added “If the running mate is not going to add to the fortune of the flagbearer he or she should be jettisoned or not to be considered at all.
“In the case of the NPP, they have already shown that they are looking at Ashante Region. It will not be surprising that [Dr Bawumia] will consider someone from the Asante Region, the region has supported the NPP and they gave their support to candidate Akufo-Addo. Asante Region has contributed massively to the growth of the NPP.”
Meanwhile, Mr Mahama has said that the process to select his running mate for the 2024 general elections will start next year.
He explained that per the rules of the party, the presidential candidate, national executives, and council of elders of the NDC will have to come together and select the person.
“What I will say is that, just like custom has it, our party also has processes to select candidates for various roles.
“It is the Presidential candidate, National executives, and Council of Elders who come together to select a running mate. But that process will start next year,” he said while replying to calls to select his running mate from the Bono Region.
The Queen mother of Sunyani Nana Akosua Dua Sika Asor Brayie earlier appealed to him to select his running mate from the Bono Region.
She told Mr Mahama that the people of Bono Region have supported him and the NDC over the period, hence would want him to reciprocate that support by choosing his vice presidential candidate from the region.
“The Traditional Council supports him. I would like to make an appeal to him, we know he loves the Bono Region because his wife comes from here. We have selected vice president from other places for quite some time, but we want him to choose his running mate from this region this time,” she said at a public engagement with Mr Mahama in Wenchi as part of his building the Ghana Together tour.
Source: 3news
