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The Deputy Minister for Tourism, James Agyenim Boateng has taken a swipe at a potential running mate of the opposition NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, saying he is a political liability to the NPP. According to him, if Dr. Bawumia is retained as the NPP�s running mate for the 2012 election, nothing will change from his poor performance exhibited in the 2008 election. The choice of a running mate for Nana Akufo-Addo has generated a lot of speculations among members of the party and the public. A leading member of NPP and Member of Parliament for Asikuma Odoben Brakwa, P.C. Appiah-Ofori joined the debate with his own proposals, asking that Jawula be picked rather than Bawumia. But reports in the media indicate that the opposition NPP will give Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia a second chance to partner flag-bearer Nana Akufo-Addo for the 2012 elections. The report noted that a team empanelled six months ago to assist the flag-bearer to choose a running mate has short-listed two persons for the top job � Dr. Bawumia and the deputy minority leader, Ambrose Derry. However, speaking on Asempa FM on Monday, James Agyenim Boateng noted that Dr. Bawumia is not an electoral asset to the NPP and that his choice will add nothing to the NPP ticket for 2012. �A government asset means someone who is not in politics but can help the party in power in running the affairs of the country and an electoral asset means someone who may lack the expertise to help the government when the party is in power but can pull more votes. But in both cases, Dr.Bawumia has neither of the two so he is a liability,� he stressed. Mr. James Agyenim Boateng asserted that the 2008 running mate of the NPP, Dr. Bawumia, has no personal political constituency to merit the status of being chosen as an effective running mate for a major political party like the NPP. �Looking at the north, south, east and west, Bawumia has no constituency on his own where he can move straight forward and pull crowed for his flagbearer�. �The last election reveals he added nothing to the NPP ticket as compared to John Mahama of the NDC. Bawumia has no stronghold and at a point in time, his loyalty to the party was even questioned so I don�t see him as a threat to NDC at all�. Mr. Agyenim Boateng hinted that the ruling NDC has no problem if Dr. Bawumia is confirmed as NPP�s running mate for the second time because President Mills is poised to secure a second term of office. Comparing the Vice President Mahama and Dr. Bawumia, he asserted that the difference is clear, noting, �John Mahama has the political numbers, a political constituency and a political experience but the same cannot be said about Bawumia�. He said John Mahama apart from being a vice president has Bole Bamboi as a constituency as well as the whole of Ghana because he can pull votes for President Mills everywhere he goes. He describes Vice President Mahama as someone who knows and understands the dynamics of Ghanaian politics better than any other running mate.