Amissah-Arthur Not A Done Deal

Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur
President John Dramani Mahama has made it clear that he has not chosen the Vice President, Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, as his running mate for the 2016 general elections as had been speculated.

According to him, he needed to be endorsed as the presidential candidate of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) by the members of the party before settling on who should become his running mate for the next general elections.

He said even though he was the sole candidate who filed nomination for the flagbearer position of the NDC, the party's constitution demanded that he should be endorsed by the party members in a poll.

'I need to get at least 51 per cent of the total votes cast by NDC members in the upcoming presidential primaries of the party to become the presidential candidate of the NDC. So the party has not yet settled on a running mate,' the president added.

There have been widespread rumours of a deep-seated rift between the president and his vice and reports claim the relationship is so bad that the latter once contemplated resigning and leaving the Flagstaff House in protest.

President Mahama strongly denied having a frosty relationship with his vice and indicated that his relationship with the vice president has been perfect, describing the rumours as 'absolutely false'.

On Thursday, September 3, 2015 when Vice President Amissah-Arthur picked the NDC presidential nomination forms at the party's headquarters at Adabraka in Accra on behalf of the president, many were those who thought that the move was an indication that the president had retained the vice as his running mate for 2016.

However, speaking on Sekondi-based Twin-City Radio, President Mahama told listeners that the NDC had not yet settled on any one as the running mate for the 2016 elections.

Mahama pointed out that he could not reveal his running mate when he was not yet a candidate.

He stated: 'the party has procedures for choosing a running mate and that will be done after my endorsement. So I am moving from region to region to appeal to party supporters for their massive endorsement…'

'I have to be endorsed first then I can announce who my running mate should be. There is a procedure for naming a running mate in the party,' he added.

The president was optimistic he would have a one-touch victory in his bid to retain power in 2016.

He indicated: 'I'm confident that God is on our side. The NDC will go to the polls on November 7 and come out stronger.'

President Mahama was in the Western Region for a two-day visit during which he inaugurated one of the government's 200 community day senior high schools at Bamiankor in the Nzema East municipality.

He also met with the executives of the NDC in the region at the various levels to seek their massive endorsement in the November 7 presidential primaries.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi