The flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will announce his running mate to the National Council of Elders of his party on Thursday March 29, 2012.

XYZ News can confirm that the party’s National Council is billed to hold a meeting with Nana Addo at the University of Ghana, Legon at 10 am on Thursday morning prior to that effect.

The final decision of who partners Nana Addo for the December Presidential and Parliamentary election will be taken at that meeting.

XYZ News can also confirm that Nana Addo will be making a strong case to the elders of his party about why he wants to repeat his 2008 running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the second time.

Sources close to Nana Akufo-Addo say the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana tops the shortlist of four possible running mate candidates.

XYZ News can further confirm that various groups within the party lobbying for the other possible running mate candidates have intensified their efforts towards convincing Nana Akufo-Addo to look in the direction of their preferred candidate.

The other potential candidates apart from Dr. Bawumia include former President of the Ghana Football Association, Alhaji MND Jawula; Deputy Minority Leader Ambrose Deri and former Salaga MP Boniface Saddique Abubakar.

The Leadership of the Party will issue a statement announcing the running mate right after deliberations and debates at the Thursday meeting.

Sources within the National Council of the Party have also revealed that some elders of the party are against the choice of Dr Bawumia and are ready to make their opposition known plainly at the meeting.

Nana Addo gave the Party up to the end of March to name his running mate.

Some groups within the Party have been anxious about what they describe as Nana Addo’s delay in coming out with his running mate.