Bawumia running mate: Appoint a competent, charismatic candidate from Ashanti Region who'll pull votes — Prof. Sarpong to Bawumia

Professor Smart Sarpong, a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Research at Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), has advised Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to select a running mate who has the charisma and competence to maximize votes.

This advice comes as Bawumia, the flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), campaign rigorously ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Prof. Sarpong emphasized the strategic importance of choosing a running mate from the Ashanti Region, the party’s stronghold.

He noted that selecting a candidate from the Ashanti region could boost voter turnout for the NPP.

“For the purposes of maximizing votes, among the factors that he has to consider will include the partner that will help him maximize his votes. I am sure those who call for a running mate from Ashanti are mindful of the fact that it has for a long time been a stronghold of the NPP and perhaps nominating a vice from that region can contribute to whipping up the interest of the voters to come out and vote for the NPP. That will be the main reason,” Prof. Sarpong stated.

He further elaborated that while the Ashanti Region's numerical strength is a key determinant, the overall suitability of the running mate should not be overlooked.

"Apart from that, anybody who can play that complementary role very well irrespective of which region he comes from provided he can complement the flagbearer and qualifies by age and by other standard definitions can be nominated," he stated.

In an interview on TV3’s Ghana Tonight, Prof. Sarpong noted that the running mate must be able to connect with the youth, who constitute the majority of the voting population.

He said, “If the running mate is an inspirational person, if the running mate has charisma, if he is able to go down there and mobilize votes and he appeals to the people, most especially the youth, the person can add some good amount of complementary votes to the ticket of the flagbearer."

Prof. Sarpong concluded by stressing the need for a running mate who is not only from the Ashanti Region but also exhibits strong leadership qualities and appeal.

“Apart from him being an Ashanti, he has to pick somebody who is very charismatic, somebody who can appeal to the youth population, somebody who is down to earth.”