Retain Dr Bawumia As NPP Running Mate

… He is capable of commanding the Presidency when the need arise.

The New Patriotic Party has just completed a historic and spectacular reform of intra-Party politics in our history, where we overwhelmingly endorsed Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo as the Party’s flagbearer to contest the next Presidential elections. By this remarkable feat, we have once again set the pace by establishing the widest and most detailed Electoral College ever in Africa to choose a Presidential candidate. It was fascinating to see the enthusiasm with which the delegates and supporters of the Party across the country participated in this novelty.

The excitement of the this great achievement is yet to settle but there is work to do and already, there are strong lobbies from all directions for the vacant role of running mate to be filled. Some very credible names are flying here and there with some interest groups working quietly to promote some particular persons for the role.

I have no ill-feelings whatsoever against any person seeking to serve the Party as the Vice-Presidential candidate. I believe an acceptable platform should be established for anybody seeking to serve our Party; to do so without intimidation and harassment. Any credible person should be encouraged at all times to serve the party in a capacity he /she thinks can deliver for the Party.

One of the core reasons why I endorsed Nana’s Presidential candidacy as far back April 2010 was that, as Presidential candidate in the 2008 Presidential ballot, Nana and the Party performed remarkably well, winning the first round by 49.32% .I believe the verdict of the delegates on the 07th August 2010 was due to his performance in the 2008 general elections. Clearly, the Party did not have to look elsewhere to choose our flagbearer when an already marketed, tested and proven person was still in the tick of affairs. We as a Party decided not to undermine our project and so almost 80% of the delegates voted for Nana Addo signalling strongly that we are here to for business.

That is why I strongly argue that Nana/Bawumia ticket must equally be retained. This will confirm our consistency and appreciation to the two gentle men who led us into the 2008 and narrowly lost to the NDC. We have to celebrate their achievement, encourage and support this viable ticket. I also argue that the Nana/Bawumia partnership is very well known by Ghanaians. They toured the country together and campaigned on the big issues together. The ticket gives us greater certainty for 2012.Indeed the reasons Bawumia was selected as running mate for the 2008 general elections to partner with Nana are still relevant today. I argue that, the immediate selection of Bawumia to partner with Nana will effectively address any prolong, brassy and “bitter” lobby as witnessed in 2007/2008 and allow the Party to concentrate on the task bigger of unseating the clueless NDC administration. Clearly, Bawumia’s retention is hugely significant as the election of Nana Addo.I hope Nana and the Party would accept him on the Presidential ballot for the greater interest of the Party as we get set to re-introduce the Party to the people Ghana.

A mark of leadership is the ability to learn from the past. Nana Addo must beware of the lessons littered in the political history. It would be very suicidal to present a ticket that does not represent all wings of the Party. Those calling for South/south ticket must stop the silly piddling and consider the wider implications for the Party. We must consider how a SOUTH-SOUTH ticket will fuel suspicion of some Ghanaians that our great Party has room for only people from the South.

A southern –Northern ticket has worked in the past. It will work again if we are to remove all doubts about the NPP not being inclusive and Nana is not going to set a record to break this beautiful convention adopted by the Party for Souther/Norther and vice versa Presidential ticket.

Bawumia stands taller than any other candidate who may be put forward as an alternative from the North. His partnership with Nana in the 2008 election garnered nearly 50% for the Party and led the NDC in the first round.

We are in very challenging economic times. The Finance and Economic planning Minister aside, Bawumia is the type of person Nana would need as second in command in his cabinet to help turn the economy around. He has recently worked as a Senior Member of St Anthony’s College – University of Oxford, the world’s leading research institution on African Economics; worked as a visiting Professor of economics at the University of British Columbia and until his nomination as the running-mate to Nana Addo in the last general elections, he was the lead contributor to what has been described as “one of the widest ranging financial sector reform programmes in Africa during the last decade” at the Central Bank of Ghana where he worked as Head of the Monetary Policy and Financial Stability, Special Assistant to the Governor and the immediate pass Deputy Governor. He also once chaired the Capital Market Committee of the Central Bank.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is capable of commanding the Presidency should the need arise and I personally believe he has the patience to wait quietly in the wings and give Nana the support required for him to lead and supervise the Ghana project which is currently struggling and not doing good.

Thank you.

**Signed** Musah Superior NPP Member, Tamale Central. Email: imsuperior2002@yahoo.com