The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, says the Mahama-Amissah Arthur ticket, the ruling National Democratic Congress is likely to present for the 2012 general election, is considerably weaker compared to the Mills-Mahama ticket the NDC presented in 2008.

Mr Baako made this known, Thursday, as a panelist on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme. According to Kweku Baako, the Mills-Mahama ticket the NDC presented in the 2008 elections had also been in office for the last 3½ years and therefore could consider itself well-marketed ahead of the 2012 polls.

On the other hand, he stated that the newly-formed Mahama-Amissah ticket is firstly, not a recognizable team on the ground and needs time to be marketed. Secondly, the new NDC team, in his opinion, would find it extremely tough and almost impossible to beat Akufo-Addo/Bawumia.

Throwing more light on this assertion, Kweku Baako explained that the NPP flagbearer and his running mate has, in close to two years, toured every part of this country and by this had achieved nationwide recognition.

The performance of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia team in its first attempt at the polls, where they obtained 49.77% of the vote, according to Kweku Baako should inform the NDC about the strength of the NPP candidates.

Similarly, some functionaries and activists of the NDC have expressed displeasure at the choice of Mr Amissah-Arthur as running mate as they deem it as the concession of victory to the NP ahead of the December polls.

A group calling itself the NDC Youth Coalition in a statement said, “When we heard he (Amissah-Arthur) had been appointed, none of us could immediately put a face to the name.”

National Organiser of the NDC, Yaw Boateng Gyan, in acknowledging the plight of the NDC in the choice of Amissah-Arthur has said Mr Amissah-Arthur has not yet been endorsed as the running mate for President Mahama.

“It is not yet time for him to select his running mate for the upcoming election, that will be done at congress on 1st September; after he (Mahama) has been endorsed by popular acclamation as the flagbearer. Then he, in consultation with the party, will decide if the same person (Amissah-Arthur) should be as his running mate or whether a different person should be nominated”, the NDC organizer said.