Président ghana

Nuamah Donkor and Mahama to partner in the 2020 election

2020-01-09 16:43:48

After several months of speculations with several names being bandied around regarding who partners John Dramani Mahama in the 2020 general election, the dust is said to have settled as the former President in the coming days will announce his running mate.

Information exclusive to News Ghana indicates that the NDC flagbearer is said to have settled on the immediate past Managing Director (MD) for the State Transport Corporation (STC), Hon. Samuel Nuamah Donkor.

Hon. Nuamah Donkor, who is a former Member of Parliament (MP) for the New Juaben North Constituency in the Eastern Region, former Health Minister and former Ashanti Regional Minister under Jerry John Rawlings is said to be the preferred choice of the NDC founder.

Mr. Mahama, according to party sources, in an attempt to reconcile with Jerry Rawlings is said to have consulted the founder on his running mate issue who suggested Hon. Nuamah Donkor to him.

Our source, who preferred to speak on anonymity told News Ghana Hon. Nuamah Donkor is a true Cadre and trusted person of the NDC founder hence will be able to bring Jerry Rawlings onto the campaign trail to help the fortunes of the largest opposition party as it seeks to capture political power from the Akufo-Addo led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

“Hon Nuamah Donkor is not corrupt and for that matter no one can tag him as a corrupt person. He has impressive records as Health and Ashanti Regional Minister under J.J and resurrected Intercity STC during John Mahama’s tenure as president of the country,” the source said.

The source further indicated that former Health Minister, who is a Christian and hails from both the Ashanti and Eastern Regions will be able to win a lot of votes from several groupings within the country for the NDC.

“Hon. Nuamah Donkor is very eloquent, a unifier and will bring huge votes from the Christian community, health practitioners across the country as well as in the Ashanti and Eastern Regions to the NDC,” the source further stated.

Several names including the longest Finance Minister, Prof. Kwesi Botchwey, former Education Minister, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman, former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, NDC General Secretary, John Asiedu-Nketiah as well as former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Asiama has come up as potential running mates to John Mahama.

It is important to stress the point that the two major political parties; the NDC and the NPP since the 2000 general election have taken into consideration the north-south ticket and in some instances the religious backgrounds people before selecting running mates to their presidential candidates.

It would be recalled that the NDC candidate in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, who is from the Central Region selected Mr. Martin A. B. K. Amidu and Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, who hail from the norther parts of the country as his running mates respectively.

In the 2008 presidential election, Prof. Mills selected John Dramani Mahama from the Northern Region as his running mate.

Following the unfortunate demise of Prof. Mills on July 24, 2012, Mr. Mahama was sworn in as president.

He selected former Governor of the Central Bank, Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, who hails from the Central Region as Vice President, a ticket he maintained during the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections.

Similarly, the NPP presidential candidate for the 2000 and 2004 general elections, John Agyekum Kufuor, who comes from the Ashanti Region and a Christian selected Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who is a Muslim and hails from northern Ghana to partner him.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is a Christian from the Eastern Region selected Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, a Muslim from then Northern Region, now North-East Region to partner him in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 presidential elections.

The selection of the NDC running mate has been a subject for discussion among power brokers as well as the rank and file of the party.

A cross section of people within the NDC believe that Central Region has played a pivotal role in determining who wins presidential elections in Ghana’s Fourth Republic hence the party should always have either presidential or running mate position given to an indigene of the region.

Former Rawlings in the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections selected Kow Nkensen Arkaah and Prof. John Atta Mills, all from the Central Region as running mates.

Atta Mills, was asked by the NDC to lead the party in the ‘Swedru Declaration’ in the run-up to the 2000 general election, a development which led to political rancor hence the formation of the National Reform Party (NRP).

Mr. Mahama, upon becoming president continued the NDC marriage with the Central Region by appointing Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.

However, some people have argued the NDC have done little for the Volta Region, the party’s stronghold hence the need to select a person from the region as running mate.

This concern, according to sources coupled with a few other issues has contributed to the delay in the selection of Mahama’s running mate. Enditem