Politics of Monday, 8 June 2020

Source: peacefmonline.com

We don’t have any difficulty choosing a running mate - Edudzi Tamakloe

John Dramani Mahama John Dramani Mahama

The issue of a Running Mate for the Presidential Candidate of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama has become a subject of discussion as many including the ruling NPP claim the NDC leader is finding it difficult to choose a partner.

But an aide to the former President Mahama has said it is never a difficult venture.

According to lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, he disagrees with those who hold the conviction that the leader of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is struggling to announce his Running Mate for the 2020 general elections as the party lacks a competent candidate to match Vice President Dr Bawumia.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, lawyer Edudzi Tamakloe emphatically stated that “we don’t have any difficulty in announcing our Running Mate”.

He added that the focus of the NDC is still on the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures being put in place to fight it.

He assured that at the right time former President John Dramani Mahama will announce his Running Mate; juxtaposing their delay to that of President Akufo-Addo announcing his Running Mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia 4 months to the general elections in 2008.

" . . we should not forget President Nana Akufo-Addo chose his Running Mate, Dr Bawumia about 4 months to the general elections," he justified the NDC’s delay.

Touching on another hindrance for the NDC to announce its Running Mate, Mr Tamakloe said that even though President Akufo-Addo has eased some restrictions on public gatherings, there is still a restriction on political party rallies aside the fact that political parties can now hold meetings with 100 people in attendance.

He stressed on the impossibility for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to just announce a Running Mate with only a few people in attendance as such an event demands huge crowd.

He, however, alluded to the fact that there was a huge jamboree when the late President John Atta Mills announced John Mahama as his Running Mate, adding that the same thing happened when former President Mahama announced the late Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur as his Running Mate, as such there should be no difference in announcing this too.

“ . . so we need to factor all these into consideration before we make the announcement finally . . . if you are going to announce your Running Mate, you cannot just call two people around to announce your Running Mate, it is a huge program," he stressed.