NPP running mate: Ashantis deserve it – Nana B

A former Aide to the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has argued that there is no deliberate agenda to make an Asante running mate to the 2024 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

National Organiser of the party, Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye had hinted in an interview that someone from the Ashanti Region will consolidate the ticket of the party for the 2024 polls.

He said that apart from coming from the Ashanti Region, the person’s competence will be another thing that will be considered.

Apart from these two, the other thing the party will consider is the person’s personality and popularity in the country.

“Kwame, the running mate for the NPP in 2024, will come from the Ashanti Region. This is because the Ashanti Region has, over the years, been the stronghold of the NPP. However, that will not be the only consideration.

"We will also look at the competence of the individual who will be selected. We will look at his or her record of accomplishment over the years and how knowledgeable the person is. Did the person perform well when he/she was given an appointment or not?

"The running mate we will select will also be popular and loved by the grassroots. We will not go in for someone no one knows of. We will go in for someone who has the personality to be able to move the crowd because we want someone to shore up our numbers in the impending elections,” he said on Accra-based Peace FM.

Mr. Richard Agyeman however indicates that any partnership of an Asante running mate to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is not bad but well deserving.

He notes there is not a calculated agenda to push for an Asante within the NPP to partner with the flagbearer, but all the names suggested so far are competent.

Already, some lobbyists are pushing all kinds of agendas and introducing interesting dynamics as to who partners Dr. Bawumia.

Names such as Fremah Opare Chief of Staff, Energy Minister Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, Education Minister Yaw Adutwum, Majority Leader Kyei Mensah Bonsu, 1st Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu, Deputy Minister Finance Minister Dr John Kumah are all names with Asante decent that has come up as possible individuals eyeing the running mate slot of the NPP.

However, with a tall list of Asantes, the NPP communicator who was once Suame Constituency Youth Organizer believes there is no such thing as an Asante running mate agenda.

“There is no Ashanti agenda; there is a competence agenda because whoever is selected must be competent”

“We told Ghanaians we have the men and Ashanti has the most competent men and women to help Dr Bawumia if he so wishes to pick a running mate from the region. All the names that have come up so far are competent names that can do it as far as the Veep role is concerned,” he intimated.