Nana Ohene Ntow, a former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has opposed an informal proposal for the party to settle on its flagbearer and running mate without a primary.

Those proposing the said ticket are asking the party to pick Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and outgoing Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen for their 2024 presidential election ticket.

Ohene Ntow, who is a supporter of Alan Kyerematen's presidential bid, told pro-NPP Asaase Radio (January 7) that it was wrong to put forward such a proposal for a party with deep democratic ethos.

“…NPP has always elected a presidential candidate, and once the candidate is elected, the candidate has the right and the privilege of choosing their running mate. So, why will you want to go and arrange something they are yet to arrive at?.

“So, in that arrangement, who becomes the candidate and who becomes the running mate? Do you want to predetermine that … That’s very problematic and we ought to allow the party’s constitutional and time-tested procedures to be allowed to follow the natural course.

“Let’s not jump the ship by coming out with this kind of arrangement, which I find to be very problematic,” Ohene Ntow added.

Alan Kyerematen on January 5 tendered in his resignation as minister with the view to focus on his presidential ambition.

Two major proponents of the Alan - Bawumia ticket are Abuakwa South Member of Parliament Samuel Atta Akyea and Nana Akomea, a former MP and now Managing Director of Intercity STC Coaches Limited.

Whiles Akomea holds that the pair should figure out who becomes the president and the vice, Atta Akyea believes Bawumia as the presidential candidate will bode well for the party.

"I believe in it (Bawumia - Alan ticket) with all my heart for the simple reason that I don't believe in any arrangement in which you cannot talk about what we call the tribal balance," he said on the January 3, 2023 edition of Good Evening Ghana programme on Metro TV.

The NPP's presidential primary will take place later this year ahead of the busy 2024 election season with the party looking to 'Break The Eight' - reference to the 8-year cycle where a ruling party loses power as has been the case since 1992.

SARA