General News of Tuesday, 26 February 2019

Source: starrfm.com.gh

Ghanaians don’t care if running mate is an economist – Experts to Mahama

Former President John Mahama Former President John Mahama

Ghanaians do not care much if their Vice President is an economist or not, political watchers and researchers have told NDC Presidential candidate John Mahama as he hunts for a running mate.

According to pollster Ben Ephson, most Ghanaians care more about what comes to their pocket and other things than the academic background of the running mate.

The comment comes on the back of a recent research which suggested that Mr. Mahama will be better off running the 2020 elections with former deputy governor of the Central Bank Isaac Asiamah.

A report by the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) stated that the former second deputy BoG boss was in pole position to be picked ahead of former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, failed flagbearer hopeful, Joshua Alabi and former Education Minister, Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman.

However, Mr. Ephson told Morning Starr that the work his outfit has done so far does not support the claim that an economist matters to Ghanaian.

“An economist as a running mate does not add anything per se to an election,”.

Also commenting on the subject, a former senior adviser to the UN on governance Professor Agyeman Duah said Ghanaians are moved by other things than the background of the nominee.

“The ordinary people do not care if a running mate is an economist or not. They are concerned about their pockets and what it says. When we take out the ethnic background of running mates, the economic background may be considered by a few,” he told Francis Abban Monday.