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Welcome to John Mahama Part 2! Today is May 4 2020 — just about 7 months before the 2020 election. Unfortunately, John Dramani Mahama (the NDC flagbearer) is yet to announce his running mate for the upcoming presidential election.
The NPP on the other hand, would still be led by the 76-year-old Nana Akufo-Addo (the incumbent president of Ghana). Undoubtedly, his outspoken vice president Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will still partner Akufo-Addo in the presidential race. The die is cast!
Now, political pundits have been speculating about John Mahama’s potential running mate. Surprisingly, the list of candidates is taller than you can imagine.
“The early bird catches the worm”. So the saying goes!
Though he claims he’s not thinking about the next election, it seems president Akufo-Addo and the NPP are in a comfortable lead, as far as preparation for 2020 polls is concerned. 50% subsidized electricity and free water to all Ghanaians for 3 months? Certainly, this cannot be a free lunch. The free utilities in addition to the 88 new hospitals, will likely be the gold mine of NPP’s campaign messages.
NDC is in trouble.
Does the lateness of the NDC in choosing their running mate mean that Mahama has lost the polls in advance? Well, we can’t conclude so. But what’s actually preventing him from settling on his running mate? That’s a million-dollar question!
Here’s What Could Be Hampering Mahama’s Running Mate Selection
More than a year had elapsed since ex-president Mahama was overwhelmingly endorsed by 95% of voters in the NDC primaries. Unfortunately, according to reports, NDC leaders are still clueless about the best partner for Mahama.
As the Covid-19 Pandemic rages on, we now hear excuses from the “umbrella”party. They’re blaming their indecisions on the deadly novel coronavirus.
Speaking in an interview with Onua TV, Johnson Asiedu Nketia (aka General Mosquito), the NDC General Secretary, suggested that Covid-19 is the stumbling block that’s holding the party back from selecting their running mate.
“If the time comes, we shall name the running mate but for now, the President has said we should fight the coronavirus so that is our focus” Asiedu Nketia stated.
General Mosquito then went ahead to make sarcastic statements about Akufo-Addo’s updates on Covid-19.
“If we are all sick or running away because of coronavirus, by December, how can you go for elections? Nketia joked.
Nevertheless, the excuses don’t add up to the facts. The first Ghana Covid-19 case was confirmed in mid-March. That’s less than 2 months ago.
So what was stopping Mahama’s running mate decision-making before Covid-19 burst into the scenes? Not so fast. Something is not right somewhere.
John Mahama’s Running Mate Selection: The Facts of the Matter
Even though the NDC leaders are trying to play tricks on our minds, the stark realities on the ground cannot be covered. Some big names from the NDC political circles have already been mentioned as possible running mates.
So far, the top names popping up on the list include former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor; former Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho; former Finance Minister, Prof Kwesi Botchwey, Zanetor Rawlings — just to name a few.
According to reports, the big-time loser of the 2016 presidential election (aka John Mahama) is believed to be staging a dramatic comeback.
But there are minor glitches to be faced.
Apparently, the founder of the NDC party, J.J. Rawlings, has been rumored to be deeply involved in the delays in selecting Mahama’s running mate. In order to obtain the necessary support from Rawlings, the NDC doesn’t want to choose a running mate who is not in good terms with their founder. For that matter, names like Prof Kwesi Botchwey may not be the favorites.
Meanwhile, Mahama says he already knows his running mate.
“I have a firm idea now of who my running mate will be, and we will name him at the right time,” Mahama said in a televised “Digital Conversation”.
Currently, an internally-divided NDC is weighing on a lot of options on their table.
Let’s see whether Mahama’s running mate will hail from the Ashanti Region as it’s rumored.
