Alan Cash, Bawumiah battle for NPP running-mate

There are indications of a growing uncertainty surrounding who finally gets the nod to be the running-mate of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the newly elected flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Even though Akufo-Addo, in a one-in-one TV interview with Paul Adom Okyere on his Good Evening Ghana show a few days before their October 18 congress that picked him as the substantive flagbearer, had indicated that there can only be one person (Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia) to partner him as running-mate, his closest rival in the flagbearership race, John Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanteng has emerged as a “worthy” candidate for the position.

This has caused a simmering tension between the two individuals who may soon have run-ins over the position, the Republic newspaper has gathered.

Akufo-Addo was expected today (Thursday October 23, 2014) to publicly announce Dr. Bawumia as running-mate, but this paper has gathered that this decision may be put on hold because of the new development.

Dr. Bawumia has been Akufo-Addo’s chosen running-mate throughout his twice-failed Presidential bid in 2008 and 2012. Akufo-Addo had hinted that Dr. Bawumia would possibly be his running-mate for the third time. But Alan Kyeremanteng has made no secret of his interest in the position.

Shortly after his caustic battle with Akufo-Addo for the flagbearer race that ended in his humiliating defeat, Alan Kyeremanteng paid a courtesy call on his nemesis and a hint that he is ready to play any role in the NPP, including being Akufo-Addo’s running-mate as the opposition party dust up its campaign arsenal for the 2016 Presidential election.

This hint is said to have taken Akufo-Addo by surprise, sources close to him told the Republic newspaper that the hint was subtle, but the shrewd Akufo-Addo took note of it.

The interest from Alan Kyeremanteng may have unsettled the plans of Akufo-Addo, who had already settled on Dr. Bawumia.

Political pundits have divided opinions on the prospects of the two individuals being running-mates. Pollster, Ben Ephson opines that Dr. Bawumia is the best bet for Akufo-Addo because the economist-turned politician had been well marketed in his three-time partnership with Akufo-Addo and any new infusion may upset the cart.

However, others feel Alan Kyeremanteng having contested the flagbearership of the NPP for three consecutive times, has accumulated the needed charisma to give an Akufo-Addo campaign the necessary boost for the campaign to win the 2016 Presidential elections.

The defeated Alan Kyeremanteng further re-emphasised this interest when he told sit-in host of ASEMPA FM’s Ekosii sen political programme, Captain Smart that he will play any role which the party deems him fit to occupy.

His comment was in response to a direct question posed to him by Captain Smart about whether he will avail himself of the opportunity to be running mate to Akufo-Addo in case the three-time flagbearer settled on him for the job.

According to the former Ambassador to the United States, if he saw himself fit to have contested for the highest position in the party, to avail himself as the right-hand man to the leader of the party was easy for him to settle on.

Run-up to the October 18 NPP congress, there were reports that Mr. Keremanteng had been approached by some individuals from the Akufo-Addo camp to step down from contesting Akufo-Addo for the flagbearer position. The agents are said to have argued that it would be a waste of resources to contest Akufo-Addo particularly having been thoroughly beaten by Akufo-Addo in an earlier mini congress organised for party executives across the country.

It is alleged that the Alan camp suggested that for him to back down for Akufo-Addo, he should be made running-mate as a precondition.

However, party sources tell this newspaper that certain individuals have strongly kicked against the prospects of Alan Kyeremanteng being given a running-mate concession on the grounds that he is an Ashanti and cannot be paired with an Akyem flagbearer.

In that earlier “Super Delegates Congress” Alan Kyeremanteng polled less than eight percent of the total votes while his arch-rival polled over 81 %.

Eventually, Alan Kyeremanteng failed woefully at the main congress where over 140,000 delegates voted to select their substantive flagbearer. Mr. Kyerematen polled a little more than 4 percent of total votes while Akufo-Addo won the day with a little more than 94 percent of the total votes.