Mr. Edward Kodo Gumah, a prominent member and activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had described Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the best candidate for the running mate position of the party for election 2012.

He urged all Northern NPP bigwigs interested in the running mate position to stop pursuing their agenda adding that Bawumia as a running mate to Nana Akuffo Addo would enhance the unity in the party and win more seats in the three Northern Regions.

Mr. Gumah was speaking to some journalists in Tamale on Tuesday in a reaction to some media publications which suggested that Alhaji Saddique Boniface, Mr. Ambrose Dery and Alhaji Nurudeen Jawula were interested in the position adding that such tendencies may create disunity in the party.

He said the springing up of new interested candidates who are all of Northern origin would create rivalry and disaffection and could affect the fortunes of the party saying, “NPP was fast picking up in the three regions of the North due to Dr. Bawumia’s candidature which saw the party winning the Paga, Jirapa/Lambushie and Lawrw/Nandom seats for the NPP”.

The NPP activists refuted perceptions that Dr. Bawumia contributed to the defeat of the party adding that he was not allowed to operate freely but controlled.

He also said Bawumia was then learning and had now been fully baked and more marketable for the position of the running mate than any other person of the Northern origin.

He said the party contributed to its own defeat by imposing some candidates on some constituencies of the Northern sector and not Dr Bawumia.

He said Bawumia was acceptable across the three regions of the North and was able to pull more votes for the party than ever in the history of the party.

Mr. Gumah said should Dr. Bawumia be picked as the running mate for the 2012 election, the party would not only win massively but was also sure of winning seven new seats to contribute to its strength in Northern Ghana.

He said the rivalry that ensued during the early stages of the 2008 elections for the running mate position resulted in the party loosing some essential seats which the party was holding at the time.

Mr.Gumah said Dr. Bawumia was born in the U.P. tradition as the late father Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia was the person who brought the U.P tradition to the Northern sector and should not be described as a stranger in the party.

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