Mahama should ignore 'failed' Amissah Arthur as running mate - Political Analyst

President John Dramani Mahama has been advised not to pick Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur as his running mate for the 2016 general elections.

Political Science Lecturer at the Methodist University College Dr. Bonsu Osei-Owusu says Amissah-Arthur has failed to assist the president in solving the challenges facing the country.

Dr. Osei-Owusu also says he is not impressed by the performance of the Vice President. He was speaking on Adom FM’s 6pm News.

“Based on his work and performance since his appointment, I don’t think that he deserves to partner the President again,” the political analyst stated.

Executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) recently have asked President John Mahama to urgently initiate the process to select his running mate for the 2016 elections.

According the party executives, an early announcement of a running mate would help the NDC put its campaign in motion at the beginning of 2016.

Dr. Osei-Owusu says although the President must adhere to the call by the party executives, he must not reappoint Amissah-Arthur as his running mate again.

He believes that would be a mistake.
“The Vice President didn’t live up to expectation as a former [Bank of Ghana] boss and a deputy Finance Minister because in modern politics, we need a technocrat who can assist the President to manage the economic challenges but not Amissah-Arthur” Dr. Osei-Owusu noted.

President John Dramani Mahama recently extolled the virtues of his vice President, describing him as someone who does his work with a lot of dignity and does not belong to the flamboyant class of politicians,.

This commendation by the President notwithstanding, Dr. Osei-Owusu thinks the President is bidding farewell to Amissah-Arthur.

Since, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) advised President John Mahama to select his running mate for the 2016 elections, there seems to be chaos and struggle within the party over the selection of a running mate.

Although President John Dramani Mahama has not openly declared his stance whether he would drop or retain Amissah-Arthur some youth in the party calling themselves Volta Youth for Development has called on the President to drop Amissah-Arthur for Speaker of Parliament Hon. Edward Doe Adjaho.

Leader of the group Godwin Kwame Nenedor says Amissah-Arthur is incompetent and must be changed.

They believe it is time for someone from the Volta Region to be the running mate for the NDC.

The group says the party’s largest votes have come from the Volta Region.

Also the Central Regional chairman of the NDC Bernard Allotey Jacobs says President Mahama must select his running mate from the Central Region even if he wants to change Amissah-Arthur.

Another group by name Ga Damgbe Youth are also pushing for the selection of the Accra Mayor, Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuye as the running mate.

But Dr. Osei-Owusu says both the Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho, Mayor of Accra Alfred Oko Vanderpuye are not economists.

He said President Mahama needs an astute economist to help him deal with the challenges facing the country.