Wayo Seini Will Never Be My Running Mate ? Mills

Prof John Evans Atta Mills, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, (NDC), has dismissed any hope of Prof (Dr.) Al-Hassan Wayo Seini being nominated as his running-mate for the December polls.

He said ? If I nominate him as my running-mate Ghanaians should not vote for me.? Prof Mills further stated that if Prof Seini joined the NDC in the hope that he would be his running-mate, then his hopes would be dashed.

Prof Mills was speaking to Peace FM?s Obeng Manu in an interview regarding media speculation that Prof. Wayo Seini, a son of Dagbon would be his running-mate.

The NDC flagbearer fielded questions on Wayo Seini after he had completed a tour of electoral areas in the Central Region to apprise himself of the voter registration execise.

He indicated that he is yet to decide who would run as vice-presidential candidate on the ticket of the NDC adding ? if he joined the NDC because he wants to be my running mate, then he has made a huge political mistake.? Prof Wayo Seini, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon and one-time 2nd Vice National Chairman of the NPP announced his defection amidst a media blitz at the NDC headquarters in Accra on Monday, March 8, 2004.

Assigning reasons for his defection, he maintained that his decision to quit the NPP was informed by the fact that the NDC caters for those with revolutionary fervour and probity and accountability ideals of June 4.

Another reason for his defection, he stated was because the NDC encompasses the various political ideologies like the Nkrumaist and Danquah/Busiast groups.

Prof. Seini said the NDC is the party for the ordinary man and woman, the rural and urban deprived and for farmers, fishermen, traders and businessmen. He also stated that it is only NDC that is more concerned with the development of the North, adding that, he loves Dagbon because it is the only piece of land in the whole universe, he, and indeed all the people in that part of the north, can call their own.

According to Prof. Wayo Seini analyses he had made indicated that it was only NDC which since independence, had given 26 per cent of ministerial appointments to the people from the north, a feature which he stated, contrasts with the 7.4 per cent of ministerial positions for people of northern descent in the NPP.

Forty eight hours after the announcement of his defection, the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr. Dan Botwe revealed that Prof Al-Hassan Wayo Seini, resigned from his position on September, 11, 2000, because he was not nominated as the running-mate to Mr. J.A. Kufuor, in the 2000 general elections.

When Dr. Wayo Seini resigned his position in the NPP in 2000 he said it was because he wanted to concentrate on his academic work.

However, this has been debunked by Mr. Dan Botwe. According to the NPP General-Secretary Prof Seini resigned from his post because the NPP had nominated Alhaji Aliu Mahama as the running-mate to Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor who was leading the party to the 2000 Presidential election.

Mr. Dan Botwe also discounted media reports that Prof Seini?s decision to join the NDC constituted a defection. He said his party doesn?t view Prof. Wayo?s action as a defection because for over two years since Prof. Seini?s resignation, the NPP had ceased to recognize him as member, since he quit the party three months to the 2000 elections.

It would be recalled that a fortnight or so ago, a hint was dropped that Prof Seini had been tipped to run with Prof Atta Mills in the forthcoming elections, the publication of which did not attract any reaction from the NDC camp.

The report added that despite the NPP?s downplaying of the defection as insignificant, the NDC on the other hand was ecstatic at the time over the development and even planned to use him as their trump-card to snatch votes from the NPP in the northern sector.

The issue of a running-mate to partner Atta Mills in the 2004 polls has been on the NDC plate for sometime now. A source hinted in the heat of the Prof?s defection that the NDC planned to exploit his exit to advantage in the current Dagbon crisis. because of his Andani credentials.