Amissah-Arthur fears Bawumia - Ga-Adangme NDC

The Ga-Adangme youth of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have called on Vice President Amissah-Arthur to rise up and defend the government against attacks by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, vice presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to the group, he had remained consistent in attacking the government’s economic policies.

“We find it very unspeakable the vice president has so far found no response to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, leaving the president with no other choice than to respond himself. This we feel is a strong indictment on the capability of the vice president to inspire any confidence in our electioneering campaigns, let alone lead the party in 2020.

“As an economist on the same level or even higher than Dr. Bawumia, is Amissah-Arthur not in a better position to respond to the serial attacks on the presidency? Why has he remained voiceless for three years and rather made Dr. Bawumia a perceived demigod of economics in Ghana?” the group wondered in a statement issued in Accra over the weekend.

The statement was ostensibly issued as a protest to the apparent attempt by some big shots in the NDC to impose a running mate on John Mahama for the 2016 polls. The president appears to be settling on Amissah-Arthur, but the Ga-Adangme youth think he should drop the vice president because of his abysmal performance in office as exemplified by the bad economic management, though he (vice) is the chairman of the economic management team.

They claimed they agreed to the school of thought that retaining Mr Amissah-Arthur as President Mahama’s running mate for the 2016 general elections would be politically suicidal, adding that President Mahama should be given enough time to do a broader consultation with the key stakeholders for the greater interest of the NDC to be considered in the selection of a fitting running-mate.

Explaining why the group was not in support of Amissah-Arthur, the statement said the NDC ought to strategically get a vice president who could possibly lead the party into 2020.

“It is even common knowledge within the NDC that the current vice president, Mr. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, is not an appealing candidate and doesn’t come near leading the party in the foreseeable future. This assertion is also reportedly confirmed by the vice president himself who on several occasions has confided in friends that he is frustrated in his job and may need to give a bow out of mainstream politics,” the statement added.

It explained further that “If, some NDC party executives are opinionating the happenings in the NPP as a blessing in disguise for the NDC as we enter 2016, and therefore the party could take a risk with the current vice president, then the NDC will surely pay for complacency as happened in the 2000 elections.

“The NPP may come even stronger and wounded for power when the storm is calmed and peace is returned to the party. The NDC must not underestimate that the NPP may come into elections 2016 as wounded lions when they get back united.

“History has it that the NDC has never maintained a running mate which has brought us to where we are now. Rawlings changed Nkensen Arkaah for John Evans Atta-Mills, who later changed Martin Amidu for Mohammed Mumuni before finally settling on John Mahama. Why then could someone not still be sacrificed for results if we are to win the 2016 and future elections?”