Mahama's running mate: Body size does not matter; leadership not a 'Di Asa' contest - Asiedu Nketia

General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has stopped short of denying or confirming speculations that he is interested in partnering John Dramani Mahama as the opposition party's running mate in next year's general elections.

Vice President Dr. Bawumia, last week waded into the discussion of who becomes the running mate to the NDC's flagbearer, John Mahama by mentioning Mr Nketiah's name.

Delivering his Special Guest of Honour address at a graduation ceremony held at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Dr. Bawumia said: "One of our graduands today, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah... he is known as 'General Mosquito', and also the General Secretary of the NDC. I'm told when he came into this institution, he left all his “ntuatua” behind the gate. As I shook his hands, I was wondering whether the physical training and exercises had added any more muscles to his...but it appears, it did not...am told he did not come here for the physical muscles...but came here to beef up the intellectual capacity of the NDC...and also enhance his case of being selected as running mate".

Reacting to this in an interview on Okay FM’s "Ade Akye Abia" Morning Show, the NDC General Secretary pointed out that “leadership has nothing to do with body size, so if we are looking for someone to be a leader in a party and we are thinking of a heavily-built person then we should wait for the one who will emerge as the winner of the “Di Asa” competition to be that leader in the party”.

According to him, he is not surprised that oftentimes, people tend to use his body size to underestimate his intellectual capacity.

“The advice I will give to everybody is that, whatever work given to you, do it effectively. For me, it is good that whatever project i start, people underrate me to the extent that they look at the size of my body to determine whether I can actually complete the task and I always prove them wrong with my delivery”, he averred.

Mr Asiedu Nketiah revealed that quite a lot of people wrote him off when he was seeking to consolidate his position as General Secretary, with some saying he did not deserve that high office in the NDC taking into account his small body frame.

“...when I was about to run for the office of General Secretary, most of the people I contested against were saying that i'm not fit to hold that office considering my small body size but I did not allow such comments to discourage me and today, the same people are again seeking to mock me by saying I am positioning myself for the NDC Running Mate slot”, he stressed.