The NPP at its National Executive Committee and National Council meetings held last Wednesday granted its Presidential Candidate, Dr Bawumia, an extended period to undertake broader stakeholder consultations and engagements aligned with Article 13 (3) (2) of the party’s constitution before nominating a Vice-Presidential Candidate.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic over the weekend, Nana Obiri Boahen said the decision was a good one for strategic and political reasons.

No need to rush

Nana Obiri Boahen, who is also a former Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior under former President Kufuor’s administration, explained that the party must first conclude with the elections of its parliamentary candidates for the 2024 general election before tackling the issue of the running mate.

"The party last week Saturday concluded with the parliamentary primaries in the orphan constituencies and it is set to do so in constituencies with sitting Members of Parliament (MPs) in January 2024," he said.

“To me, it will be good for the party to conclude with the parliamentary primaries before it proceeds with the selection of the running mate," he stated.

That, he said, would also allow the flag bearer to consider some of the party's sitting MPs who would not go for re-election.

Nana Obiri Boahen, a private legal practitioner and a former Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, also stated that once the flag bearer of the main opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC), former President John Dramani Mahama, had not announced his running mate, the NPP must wait till such a time.

"Former President Mahama has not announced his running mate, strategically he was waiting for the outcome of the NPP presidential primary," he said.

"So politically the pressure is now on former President Mahama to announce his running mate.

Politically and strategically, I wish Dr Bawumia would allow Mahama to announce his running mate before the NPP does theirs," he explained further.

"Politically, sometimes you should monitor the movement of your opponent and that is what Mahama did to see who the flag bearer of the NPP will be," he said.

Nana Obiri Boahen likened Ghana's politics to the two Spanish giants football clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid, saying anytime they are playing they tread cautiously.

“Fans of Barcelona and Real Madrid monitor each other so the same way the supporters of the two major political parties, the NPP and NDC do," he noted.

“So for me, the NDC must announce their running mate first before the NPP does so," he said.

Possible choices

So far, names that have emerged within the NPP inner circles include the Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Manyhia South in the Ashanti Region; the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum; MP for Bosomtwe in the Ashanti Region; the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Bekwai in the Ashanti Region, Joseph Osei Owusu.

When asked who his preferred choice for the position of would-be running mate, Nana Obiri Boahen said he was for all.

Making an inference in support of his assertion, he said, “Whoever is the husband of my mother I will refer to him as father, so whoever gets selected, I am for it,” he stated.