I’ll turn down offer to be Mahama’s Running mate – Ohene Agyekum

A stalwart of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Daniel Ohene Agyekum has stated categorically that he’ll decline an offer to become a running mate to ex-President Mahama in the 2020 elections.

With Mr. Mahama’s resounding victory in the weekend’s Presidential primaries to become the NDC Flagbearer, many political analysts say that the next hurdle the party will have to surmount is having to choose a competent running mate who will shore up the NDC’s votes in the 2020 elections.

Some analysts say with John Mahama hailing from the Northern part of Ghana, it will make a lot of political sense having a southerner preferably an Akan to partner him, for which some think Ambassador Agyekum will be a good choice.

But in an interview, former Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States said he has absolutely no ambition of ever becoming the Vice President of Ghana.

“I’ve never seen myself as a politician, I’m first a career diplomat and I’m okay with that. I’ve never had any ambition of become Vice President of Ghana, that has never crosssed my mind nor have I ever dreamt about it. I will turn down such an offer from Ex President Mahama whenever it is made. I’m told we’ll have to look for an Akan to balance the ticket, but as for me, I’m totally out. It’s a matter of choice, everyone has a different ambitions in life.

“I initially even resisted my appointment as a Minister, after the 2008 elections in which I was quite instrumental, I politely turned down an offer from the late President Mills to be the Chief of Staff of his government. I told him I’m okay with ambassadorial duty so if there’s the opportunity he should appoint me to serve outside Ghana. And I was happy to be the first Ghanaian to president his credentials to the first African-American President and the forty-fourth of the US. It’s something I feel very proud of above anything else. I’m satisfied with what I’ve done.”