Politics of Monday, 6 July 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Duffour or Opoku-Agyemang: Who partners Mahama for election 2020?

Dr Kwabena Duffour and Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang Dr Kwabena Duffour and Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang

John Dramani Mahama, the flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will soon name his running mate, many close sources have said.

The former president’s choice of running mate has been the major talk of town lately.

Over the years, the Central Region as well as the Northern Region has been the two major regions from where the flagbearer picks his partner from.

The NDC, according to GhanaWeb's sources, is contemplating two major candidates - a male and a female.

The Herald newspaper has already named the female as Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, a lecturer and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).

Prof. Opoku-Agyemang was also the Minister of Education under the erstwhile John Mahama administration.

At her induction ceremony, as Vice-Chancellor, Sir Sam Jonah, then Chancellor of UCC, described her as a "courageous and determined female who never accepted the status quo, but had worked hard and passed through the mill to attain her present position".

Our sources added that Naana is the preferred candidate of the flag bearer with the backing of the Ahwoi and some persons around the flag bearer [John Mahama].

The other person, whom people do not seem to be tipping but is also in contention, is Dr Kwabena Duffuor.

Duffuor is a former governor of Bank of Ghana, a former Finance Minister and a Member of the Umbrella fraternity, the NDC.

He [Duffuor] has the support of the founder of the party, JJ Rawlings, and when he is nominated, Rawlings has promised to join the campaign to win the December polls.

Mahama will be meeting the National Executive Council (NEC) today and present both candidates to them, so that the most suitable candidate will be nominated.

John Mahama, the NDC’s presidential candidate met President Jerry John Rawlings, the party’s founder at the latter’s Ridge residence on Saturday and discussed who Mr. Mahama will settle on as his running mate.

The meeting was described as "cordial and deeply reflective".

Mahama will also meet with other NDC bigwigs before he will make the final announcement.

Kingsley Awuah-Darko whose name came up earlier was promptly reportedly rejected by the NEC. It is unclear whether the alleged dossier Kennedy Agyapong says he has against him contributed to it.

The Assin Central MP claims he has documents on Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko (aka Kwame Awuah-Darko) which prove that the latter was involved in corrupt practices during his tenure as Managing Director of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), and Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST).