Alban Bagbin was Prof Mills' choice of running mate, not Mahama – Stephen Atubiga

A former presidential hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Stephen Atubiga, has said that John Dramani Mahama was not the late former President Prof John Evans Atta Mills' choice of running mate for the 2008 election.

According to him, the late former president wanted the current Speaker of Parliament, who was then the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West, Alban Bagbin, to be his running mate.

Atubiga, who made these remarks in a Good Evening Ghana interview, on Thursday, monitored by GhanaWeb, said that John Dramani Mahama wanted to be president himself and not a vice president.

“John (Dramani Mahama) didn’t want to be a running mate but it was through a lot of talking that he took that opportunity. The opportunity was given to Alban Bagbin to be the running mate for Mills.

“And then Mahama Ayariga and Bagbin decided that since John was out of parliament, they should give that opportunity and it took a lot of talking (discussions) for John to accept to be Mill’s running mate,” he said.

Asked by the host if John Mahama was not the late former president's first choice for running mate, Stephen Atubiga responded in the affirmative.

Stephen Atubiga also said that John Dramani Mahama made the late former Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur his running mate because of a promise he made to Prof Mills.

Watch the interview below:



BAI/FNOQ

You can also watch this episode of People & Places here: