Time is running out for the leader of Ghana’s largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. John Dramani Mahama to pick his running mate for the 2020 general election, reports said on Sunday.
NDC party supporters, functionaries and the general public as well are waiting anxiously for Mr. Mahama to announce his running mate for his second come back after losing 2016 general election to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
While people wait anxiously, Mahama is vigorously embarking on regional campaign attacking the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on what he called bad policies which are suffocating Ghanaians.
For keeping the cards to his chest, Mahama has given room for journalists and some party functionaries to speculate about who to pair him to battle power from the NPP next year November 7.
Three top names that have appeared in the media are Dr. Alex Asiamah, a former deputy governor of Bank of Ghana, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, a former Education Minister and Professor John Gatsi, an Economist at the University of Cape Coast.
Other names that have popped up in the media include Mr. Alex Mould, former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr.Johnson Asiedu Nketia, a veteran general secretary of the party and Dr. Zanator Rawlings, Member of Parliament for Osu Klottey Constituency in the Greater Accra Region and a daughter of former military leader, Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.
Mr Asiedu Nketia has come out to say that it would be an honour for him, if Mr Mahama picks him as the running mate. Nketia has been general secretary for the NDC for the past 12 years and he has a lot of political experience in his sleeves.
It is being speculated also that former president Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the NDC is lobbying Mr. Mahama to pick her daughter as running mate.
A source close to the party’s headquarters in Accra reveals that financiers of the party are pushing for Professor Kwesi Botchwey, a former Finance minister under Rawlings’s military regime to be made the running mate owing to his prowess in financial management.
However, some hawks around Mr. Mahama are allegedly claiming that Professor Botchwey is too old to be picked for such position.
Only time will tell who Mahama would pick as his running mate as the general public anxiously await for the announcement.
DAP/abj/APA