Accra, Feb. 25, GNA - Mr John Dramani Mahama, Communications Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Wednesday said suggestions by cross-section of the media about who would be the running mate of Professor John Evans Ata Mills, was a divisive media gimmick meant to shift the focus of NDC members from the enormous pre-elections tasks. He, therefore, called on members of the party to beware of the mischievous articles in portions of the local media and remain focused behind the party leadership for a successful electioneering campaign this year.
Mr Mahama, whose name has come up in a number of media publications as one of three persons, being considered by Professor Mills, Flag-bearer of the NDC as his (Prof. Mills) running mate for the 2004 elections, was speaking to the Ghana News Agency.
The two other persons whose names have been mentioned are Alhaji Muhamad Mumuni, The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Director of the Party, and Baaba Camara, National Treasurer of the Party.
Mr Mahama said there was no laid down rule in the NDC, which mandated the Flag-bearer to listen to suggestions either from National Executive or the rank and file of the party in the selection of his running mate. It is completely Prof. Mills' prerogative. He has the right to decide on what procedure he wants to follow in selecting his running mate, he said. "The man has said that he will choose his running mate in August and all we have to do now is to wait."
Asked whether he was aware of any machinations within the Party to compel the Flag-bearer to select a particular person as his running mate, Mr Mahama said the whole fuss about who should be Prof. Mills' running mate was a media gimmick, which could go a long way to divide the rank and file of the party if not checked.
Mr Mahama, who is also the NDC Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi, said, "my chances of being Prof. Mills' running mate is nothing more than those of my other colleague NDC Parliamentarians and I believe everyone of us qualify to serve the party and ultimately the nation in that capacity."
Mr Mahama said between now and August, when Prof. Mills would announce who his running mate was, the party had several tasks including its congress, primaries, training of electoral agents, restructuring of its constituency structures among other things to deal with.
"There is even the issue of gearing up to face the challenge of grooming 30 more Parliamentary candidates for the 30 extra constituencies the Electoral Commission (EC) had proposed to create," he said.
He said the party had too much to chew in a short time, adding that this was not the time for party members to allow themselves to be led on by calculated media campaigns to shift the focus of members from the important tasks ahead of the party.
