The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lord Commey, has thrown out a supposed short list of running mates to partner Nana Akufo-Addo, flag-bearer of the party for the 2008 presidential elections. He slammed the formation of camps for people wanting the running mate slot, and rubbished the various names that had come up recently, saying the party neither recognized nor was aware of any short list of names.

“I am not aware of any short list; honestly, there is nothing like that. I read about the said short list from the media and I know what I am talking about. I am saying that this issue of running mate, as a matter of fact, has not come before the party; not even before the Steering Committee and the National Executive Committee,” Lord Commey noted. He charged further saying, “Maybe I should ask why all of a sudden the whole thing has turned into people building camps and thinking that by so doing they would influence the choice of the flag-bearer and the party; I can assure you that it would not.

“When the race was opened for people to come and vie for presidency, where were they? Why are people trying to tie Nana’s hands and push him to make them Vice President; is it fair? I am not saying that lobbying is wrong but you can not force the party to swallow your wish. “If you are forming camps and you think that by holding placards or by meeting Nana when he goes on tour you would be the running mate, then I am sorry.” Lord Commey denied reports that Nana Addo had expressed worry about the manner in which the selection of his running mate was being handled.

“I hear people say Nana is worried about it; it is a lie. Why should he be worried about two, three, four or five people all wanting to be Vice President?” he stressed. The National Organiser, speaking to journalists in Accra on Wednesday, explained that the procedure for the selection of a running mate was for the flag-bearer to choose who he wants to partner him after consultations with the National Executive Committee of the party; and stressed that, that had not been done yet. Lord Commey continued by saying that the running mate would be announced in the middle of August during the NPP National Executive Conference in the Western Region.

“With the running mate issue, you do not go in search of it; it is a choice that would be made and that is why in the past, the selection of our running mate has always come as a surprise to many people in the party. I would not be surprised that at the end of the day the running mate would not be selected from among the so called list; I would not be surprised at all and there would be no problem with that because nobody has breached any party constitution and nobody has been unfair,” he added.

Commenting on the party’s troubled constituencies, Lord Commey said the Effia Kwesimintsim constituency primary had not been held because the constituency vetting committee was yet to present its results to the party. On the Suhum Constituency Primary, he said after the incumbent MP, Fred Opare Ansah and his competitor, Brian Acheampong had a 51-51 tie three consecutive times, the party was likely to arrive at a compromise on the issue since the electoral college had not been able to select a candidate. Lord Commey said Tema West had been cleared for a primary and that a date would be announced soon.