Founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and diplomat, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe has stated that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s position makes it very difficult for him to pick his own running mate.
He was weighing in on the media speculations that Vice President of Ghana and the Flagbearer of the NPP Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has settled on the Energy Minister and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (also known as NAPO) as his running mate for the December Presidential Election.
“There are some people in the party who because of their own interest won’t allow Bawumia to pick his own running mate” he alleged.
According to Dr. Tamaloe, the choice of NAPO by Bawumia as his running mate per media speculation is not surprising at all.
“I predicted that he will not be given the free hand by some people in the party because of their own interest. I know for a fact that he can’t pick his own running mate and I made mention of this seven months ago. He will definitely have to pick his running mate from the Ashanti Region” he emphasized in an interview with Johnnie Hughes on the 3FM Sunrise Morning Show, June 27.
Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe has also questioned why all past presidential candidates under the Fourth Republic picked their own running mates, but Bawumia can’t do the same.
“Rawlings picked his own running mate, Kuffour picked his own running mate, Attah Mills picked his own running mate, John Mahama picked his own running mate and Akufo-Addo scene 1 and 2 picked his own running mate, why can’t Bawumia,” he quizzed.
The former ambassador, noted that he has worked with Bawumia before and describes him as a nice gentleman, however, it is not every nice gentleman who can be a good politician.
“To be frank with you, Bawumia is a nice gentleman. I have worked with him before. He is a very nice gentleman, but it is not every nice gentleman who can be a good politician. Bawumia, I predicted, will not be given a freehand to pick his own running mate by some party people because of their own interest”.
The respected statesman mentioned that the country has various regions and if the NPP is going to prove that indeed it has political representation in all the sixteen regions, then a presidential candidate should be free to choose whoever he wants to run with, be it a male or a female.
He further noted that the 2024 election campaign is going to be difficult for the NPP since Alan Kyerematen has left the party. According to him, the political culture of the Ashanti Region is changing because the people of the region are going through the same sufferings that the people of the other regions are facing.
“So, Ashanti Region now, if you pick a running mate from that region, I don’t think we are going to get a hundred percent from there. Within our own party there are people who are not happy with the selection of Bawumia as the flagbearer of the party”.
He added that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the other parties in the Ashanti Region will all get some of the votes with Alan Kyerematen also getting a chunk of the votes.
“Those we have at the helm of affairs now are not helping our party, because when I put my mind back to some few years back to Kufour’s era, with all his problems listened but Akufo-Addo doesn’t listen” the NPP founding member stated.
By Samuel Afriyie Owusu
