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There are two main decisions that the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2020 elections – ex-President John Dramani Mahama, has to take. One is the choice of his running mate. The next one is the formation of national and regional campaign teams.

The Daily Dispatch has been doing a series of write-ups on those likely to be named as the running mate, the last one in February, this year. As you read this piece, a shortlist of five people has been given to the various stakeholders for further consultations.

Readers need to bear in mind it is MAHAMA WHO WILL HAVE THE FINAL SAY.

Two names have surfaced since our last story five months ago – Kwame Awuah-Darko and Alex Kofi Mensah Mould.  This is in addition to three other names - Julius Debrah; Armah Buah and Oppong Fosu.

Below are brief write-ups:

ALEX KOFI MOULD, from Ashanti and Greater Accra regions is 58 years. He is regarded as one of Africa’s leading authorities on energy, economic and leadership issues. He has worked as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC). He was also the CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA):

KWAME AWUAH-DARKO, from Ashanti Region is about 50 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honours in Law, from KNUST in Ghana. He holds an MBA from Henley Business School, Greenland in U.K. In October 2013, he was appointed the CEO of the BOST and in June 2015, he was given additional responsibility as the CEO of TOR. In 2012, he contested the Ayawaso West Wuogon seat on the ticket of the NDC, losing narrowly to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, the late Mr. Kyerematen Agyarko.

AKWASI OPPONG-FOSU, who is in his early 60s, is from the Western and Ashanti regions. He has worked under three ex-Presidents – Jerry Rawlings; Atta Mills and John Mahama. Started off as a District Chief Executive, to a deputy Minsiter and full Minister of State.

Julius Debrah, 53 was the last Chief of Staff under the Mahama administration. From Eastern Region, he was once the Chairman of the NDC in the region and contested the Suhum parliamentary seat in 2012. He lost by 388 votes to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) by candidate, Frederick Opare-Ansah.

EMMANUEL ARMAH KOFI BUAH, also 53 from Western Region, is a third term Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembele in the region. He served as deputy Minster of Energy from January 2009 – December 2012. He was later appointed Minister for Energy till January 6, 2017.

The fact that it is generally agreed that the running mate should come from the broad Akan ethnic group puts the remaining three candidates from the Western Region in good stead. In addition, there is no one from the region within the national executives.

Below, as backgrounders, are series of articles written between November 5 and November 30, 2018.

This article, JOHN MAHAMA’S 2020 RUNNING MATE – WHY IT IS LIKELY TO BE AN AKAN, was published on November 5, 2018:

WHY MAHAMA’S 2020 RUNNING MATE IS LIKELY TO BE AN AKAN

A Political Desk Analysis

Last Thursday’s issue of the Daily Dispatch had this headline – IF JOHN MAHAMA WINS, ‘WHO WILL BE HIS RUNNING MATE? WILL IT BE KWESI AHWOI; OPPONG FOSU OR KWESI BOTCHWEY?

Reactions have been interesting and varied. However, one question which topped all the questions was – is it cast in stone that the running mate should be an Akan?

The broad Akan group consists mainly of Ashanti (3.8 million); Fante (2.7m); Brong Ahafo (1.1m); Akyem (765,000+) and Akuapem (624,000+). If the National Democratic Congress (NDC) elects someone not from the Akan group, analytically, it must politically be unwise to pick a running mate from another broad-ethnic that the Akan, who make up nearly 50% of the country’s population.

The New Patriotic party (NPP) has a tradition that if it picks an Akan presidential candidate, it is likely to pick a running mat from any of the three northern regions and a Muslim. Recent examples included the pairings of ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor and the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama in 2000-2004 and 2005-2008.

Continuing the NPP tradition, President Akufo-Addo is in the second of his four-year first term in office with Vice-President, Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia. The pair had endured two unsuccessful attempts in 2008 and 2012, making a total 10 years of pairing up.

Another reaction to last Thursday’s story was – what is the proof that ex-President John Mahama would win the flagbearership race and become NDC’s 2020 presidential candidate? In every election, including District Assembly elections, there are favorites but upsets do happen. However, it is important to note that one of the 12 leading members of the NDC who has expressed his interest in the NDC’s 2020 slot, Mr. Goosie Tanoh, in an interview with Joy FM said that John Mahama’s lead in the race has decreased, implying that Mahama is still in the lead.

As a backgrounder, below is the original story, first published in the Daily Dispatch on November 1, 2018.

‘IF JOHN MAHAMA WINS, WHO WILL BE HIS RUNNING MATE? WILL IT BE KWESI AHWOI; OPPONG-FOSU OR KWESI BOTCHWEY?

A Political Desk Report

One of the current topics of discussion within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is who will ex-President John Dramani (JDM) choose as his running mate should he win the party’s 2020 flagbearership slot?

One analysis that many of the major stakeholders agree is that if JDM wins, his running mate will have to be and Akan.

Three names currently being discussed are Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi; Mr. Akwasi Oppong-Fosu and Professor Kwesi Botchwey.

KWESI AHWOI, in his early 70s, has been a Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Interior under the late Atta Mills/John Mahama administrations between January 2009 and January 7. His last political appointment was Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa. He is from the Western and Central regions.

AKWASI OPPONG-FOSU, who is about 62 years, has worked under all the three ex-Presidents Jerry Rawlings; Atta Mills and John Mahama. Started off as a District Chief Executive in the PNDC era; to a deputy Minister and full Minister of State. He is from the Western and Ashanti regions.

Prof. Kwesi Botchwey, from the Central Region has been Ghana longest serving Finance Minister. He was in charge of Ghana’s Structural Adjustment Programme from the 80s. he was Chairman of the Committee that the NDC appointed to review how and why the party lost the 2016 elections. He is in his early 70s.

Readers need to bear in mind that the PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE HAS THE FINAL SAY ON WHO BECOMES HIS RUNNING MATE!’

We will continue to update our readers.

A lawyer, Mr. Martin Kpebu also expressed a view that AN AKAN SPEAKING VEEP ‘WOULD BALANCE THE NDC TICKET. It was published on November 27, 2018:

AN AKAN-SPEAKING VEEP WOULD BALANCE THE NDC TICKET – MARTIN KPEBU

CREDIT: GHANAWEB

Private Legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu strongly believes the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will be better off with an Akan-speaking Vice President than a Voltarian if the party wants to win the 2020 general election.

His assertion is in contrast to claims by members of the party that the NDC stands a high chance of losing the general elections because Voltarians are not among the party leaders.

Defeated National Organiser aspirant, Anita Desoso raised concerns about the lack of representation from the region stating that the defeat of many Voltarian candidates who were aspiring to frontline positions meant that Ewes have been sidelined from the game.

Some analyst and party members have therefore started making a case for a Voltarian to be made the running mate to whoever is elected flagbearer.

But Martin Kpebu believes otherwise stressing that the NDC need not worry about the Volta Region since it’s their 'electoral world bank'.

According to him, it’s about time the NDC focused on other regions by marginalising their territory than be worried about losing seats at their world bank.

He maintained that having Akan-speaking people as frontiers of the party means more diversity which represents a new branding for the NDC hence higher chances of winning the elections.

“It represents to some extent a new branding for the NDC, it’s good because you know NDC too has largely been seen as a party for Voltarians and Northerners…I think in the long term its good for them because it will help to galvanise the Akan-speaking people for them and it’s all about the votes….if the Volta Region is seen as the world bank then that means that is a constant so why don’t you rather do it in such a way that you seek to woo other people in. So that is why I think that it’s good because when you do that you woo other tribes. So you take measures that would make sure that you’re attracting new members not to just pacify the hardcore”, he said.

He further advised that whoever wins the flagbearership race, although he believes Mahama will win, must choose an Akan person as Vice President in order to woo the hearts of people in the other regions since the party already has the Volta Region as their world bank.

“Right now vice slot, I’m not exactly sure how that would work out because Volta Region is the world bank so that’s taken as a constant but I’m sure behind the scenes they can do something to pacify them, so if that’s taken as a constant you should take measures that would enable you to get more supporters. So they should look to the Akan-speaking area rather, they would be better off with an Akan-speaking Vice President than with a Voltarian…Since it looks like Mahama will win the ticket, they should bring an Akan-speaking Vice President, so on that score it’s better to pick an Akan-speaking Vice President that would represent balance to the NDC ticket”, he added.