Ashanti Region awaits Bawumia’s running mate with bated breath
The rank and file of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti is waiting with bated breath for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to announce his running mate for this year’s presidential election.
With the certainty that Vice President Bawumia who is the NPP flag bearer will choose his running mate from the Ashanti Region, there has been discussions within political circles about who the ideal person is.
Potential names
Some names have been mentioned, including Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh; First Deputy Speaker, Joe Osei-Owusu; Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, and the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei Opare as potential running mates.
Political watchers and commentators have been assessing the weights of the names. They want the presidential running mate to be someone who has a strong grassroot presence and can support the presidential candidate to maximize the votes.
Choice
The right to choose a running mate in the NPP is reserved for the authority and privilege of the candidate, in consultation with the party’s Council of Elders.
The idea behind this tradition is to give the candidate the right to select the person he or she can best and comfortably work with, especially in terms of establishing trust and the ability to provide effective and smooth leadership.
But, it is natural for the presidential candidate to request advice and recommendations from other people in making the selection, although he is not obliged to accept any recommendation.
Consultation
On December 3, 2023, the NPP granted Dr Bawumia, additional time to select his running mate. The party’s constitution usually requires the vice presidential candidate to be chosen one year before elections.
However, considering the time Dr Bawumia had to spent to prosecute the presidential primary, the party leadership chose to waive this requirement.
The party’s National Council, which has the power to make exceptions to the party’s rules, agreed with Dr Bawumia’s request to pick his running mate later.
