A group calling itself the Concerned Youth for Mahama has rejected President John Mahama’s decision to endorse Vice-President Kwesi Amissah Arthur as his running mate for the 2016 general elections.

President Mahama revealed his decision at a National Executive Committee meeting Monday November 7, at the governing National Democratic Congress’ headquarters in Accra.

The group was clamouring for Hanna Tetteh to replace the Vice-President and has, therefore, received with “shock and disappointment” the decision by the President to repeat Mr Amissah-Arthur.

In a press release available to ClassFMonline.com, the group said: “Our interaction with our grassroots members recommended that Hon. Hanna Serwaa Tetteh should be made running mate instead of Amissah-Arthur, who is visibly missing, out of touch and lacks public appeal and charisma”.

The group feels the chances of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in next year’s polls have been diminished as a result of the decision to retain the Vice-President as running mate, and has vowed to make sure Hanna Tetteh is made flagbearer of the NDC in 2020.

“We still maintain that Hon. Hanna Tetteh is the best option ever, as we will do everything possible that she takes over the flagbearership from President Mahama in 2020,” the statement said.

Read below the full statement:

Press Release
7/12/15

WE CAN'T WIN WITH KWESI AMISSAH-ARTHUR AS RUNNING MATE.

We members of CONCERNED YOUTH FOR MAHAMA have learnt with shock and disappointment the nomination of Kwesi Amissah-Arthur as running mate to President John Mahama for the 2016 election.

As grassroots campaign machinery for 2016, our interaction with our grassroots members recommended that Hon. Hanna Serwaa Tetteh should be made running mate instead of Amissah-Arthur, who is visibly missing, out of touch and lacks public appeal and charisma.

We maintain that Hon. Hanna Tetteh is the best option ever as we will do everything possible that she takes over the flagbearership from President Mahama in 2020. However we were quite disappointed with her for her disclaimer on the agenda we are pushing for her and the people of Central Region.

We want to state that the very bad choice President Mahama has been compelled to make by some leaders of the party and the flagstaff house and family members of Amissah-Arthur has made our chances very slim in 2016.

We have gathered from reliable sources that President Mahama's hand was tied with comments already made by Mr. Ade Coker, Hon. Omane Boamah and some party communicators that Mahama was going to maintain Amissah- Arthur.

We are not surprised at this development because spokespersons of CONCERNED YOUTH FOR MAHAMA have received several threats and harassments on their lives and our family for telling the truth on the choice of a running mate.

We are very disappointed a party like NDC in the 21st Century could chase their own for airing their views on a critical party decision.

Finally, we only wanted the best for NDC but if our party still wants to keep Amissah-Arthur and go into opposition then that will be a problem for us all but at least we all know that we tried our very best to give good advice to NDC so that we will increase our electoral chance in 2016

Thank you.

..................Signed. .............
SPOKESPERSONS FOR CONCERNED YOUTH FOR MAHAMA

Prince Mandela

Abigail Kwakye-Ewuson

George Arthur