Agitation and threats of ostracisation have worked perfectly to give the northern caucus of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) the satisfaction of a running mate.

The other political parties, did not make fetish of the choice but the composition of the savanna and the co-zongo groups was evident.

It is believed that it was not for nothing that activists of the powerful northern bloc were influential in the change of the election date because it is on a Friday in the Holy month of Ramadan.

It was an open secret that Northern Muslim groups in the Progressive Alliance favoured a candidate who satisfies both ethnic and religious proclivity. That expectation was partly met.

Mr. Martin Amidu, is a native of Builsa in the Upper East Region, but a Christian by religion. The political campaign is allegedly assuming a new dimension as the religious card is at play to attract Muslim votes.

Arguments abound that Muslims outnumber Christians up north and the backlash, if the election should toe a religious line, would be disastrous for the Progressive Alliance.

While the Upper Regions are predominantly Christian except the capitals, which have large Muslim concentrations, the Northern Region with a large Muslim population is undeniably the bastion of political activity for the three regions.

Perhaps seeing the seriousness of the religious issue and its implications, the leadership of EGLE Party used the opportunity at the formal endorsement of Amidu to urge Ghanaians not to use religion or ethnicity over selection to the high office of Vice-President.

At a news conference in Accra, Mr. Sam Pee Yalley, General Secretary of the EGLE Party said Ghana is a secular state and described as absurd, attempts by sections of the populace to stir religious sentiments in the choice of a running mate.

Interestingly, the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Alhaji Aliu Mahama and the Convention People's Party's (CPP) Alhaji Ibrahim Mahama are two people from opposing political parties who probably satisfied the criteria of the northern pressure groups.

The People's National Convention (PNC) presidential candidate, Dr. Edward Mahama, though a Northerner, may not be in the reckoning of the equation because of his Christian background and the fact that he choose his running mate down south, in the person of Mr. Bannerman Baah Ntim.

The National Reform Party (NRP), like the NDC picked a Fante, Goosie Tanoh with Mr. Cletus Joseph Kosiba as running mate from the Upper East region.

The various pressure groups in the north are now quiet since the scene is saturated with vice-presidential slots.

Northerners in the Progressive Alliance will cast their ballots on December 7, but whether they agitated for a Muslim to balance the equation would reflect in the results of the presidential votes.