Even before President John Dramani Mahama meets National Executives of the National Democratic Congress after his endorsement at the party’s November 7 presidential primaries over his choice of a running mate for the 2016 elections, the ruling party has offered the president carte blanche in the nomination of his political partner for next year’s election.
According to executives of the NDC, who are also key stakeholders in the selection of running mate as per the party’s constitution, whoever partners the president into the 2016 elections is not a matter of concern to them as the choice of running mate is the sole prerogative of the President.
Dropping hints the NDC’s national executives will go along with whosoever the President nominates as his choice for running mate for next year’s elections, first vice chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, who doubles as the party’s Director of Elections, said they (national executives) will not interfere in the selection process.
Speaking to Nii Arday Clegg on the Morning Starr on Monday, the former Local Government Minister said “The President has the right to decide who he wants to run with, that is his prerogative and the party is not worried about it.”
There has been conflicting rumors regarding who partners President John Mahama, going into the 2016 elections. These rumors were further fueled by the president’s decision to allow his sitting vice president, Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur to pick his (Mahama’s) nomination forms to contest the NDC’s November 7, 2015 presidential primaries.
While some, particularly admirers of the vice president, say it is an indication president Mahama will retain him as running mate for the 2016 elections, others believe the president is likely to replace Paa Kwesi with a woman from the south.
Speaking to the issue in various interviews on some GBC regional radio stations, President John Mahama repeatedly stated that he is yet to nominate a running mate for the 2016 elections, explaining further that, he would first have to get the endorsement of his party delegates after which he will consult the leadership and stakeholders of the NDC before taking such critical decision.
“You can’t have a running mate when you are not yet a candidate and so I cannot be selecting a running mate when I have not gotten the endorsement of my party” he stated.
“You have to be endorsed first and the party must give you the mandate and based on the mandate, you announce who your running mate would be and there is a procedure for doing that. It is done in consultation with the party and so I am not going to second guess or prejudice that procedure. Right now; we are focusing on selecting a candidate and once that is done, then we will look at that.”
However, when the president was again confronted with the same issue in an interview with Garden City Radio in Kumasi on Monday, he said he enjoys working with vice president Amissah-Arthur.
“I enjoy working with my Vice President. As head of the Economic Planning Committee, my Vice has initiated many policy interventions to keep this country running. He is also good in the day-to-day running of the state anytime I’m out of the country performing functions as the head of the ECOWAS or on an official mission for the country. Mr. Amissah Arthur really takes care of everything,” the president stated.
But when pressed further if he will maintain Amissah-Arthur as his running mate for the 2016 presidential elections, President John Mahama said: “I know who he would be.”
Meanwhile, sources at the seat of government told The aL-hAJJ that the president, having been given the opportunity by executives to nominate whoever he wants to partner him for the 2016, is most likely to replace Amissah Arthur with another accomplished personality from the South for some strategic reasons.
When reminded of the tons of adulations President Mahama has been showering on his vice vis-à-vis the adage “you don’t change a winning team”, this was what a highly placed source told this paper:
“A coach does not only change a player because he is not doing well…, coaches may bench their best players for various strategic reasons including, the toughness of their next match”.
<<Print>>