Choice of Mumuni will not affect our strategy - NPP

Accra, Sept. 24, GNA - The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Friday said the choice of Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni by Professor John Evans Atta Mills, presidential candidate of the NDC, as his running mate for the December 7 polls would not affect its strategy.

The NPP, Mr Dan Botwe, General-Secretary of the NPP, said had anticipated the choice of Alhaji Mumuni by Prof. Mills.

Mr Botwe said choice of Alhaji Mumuni by Professor Mills was no surprise because former President Jerry Rawlings wanted it so and he had not hidden that fact.

"We knew Rawlings as usual would influence Professor Mills in his choice and this has prevailed," he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Accra.

"We congratulate the running-mate and we hope to work together to ensure a decent campaign."

Mr Botwe said the party was confident of victory and had been working diligently towards that goal.

He said the NPP was not complacent in its bid to win the elections and would continue to campaign as vigorously as ever before.

On the issue of votes from Muslims and people of Dagbon, he noted that the whole country was one big constituency of which the party was not targeting just a section of the electorate. He added that Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama is a devout Muslim.

Alhaji Mumuni and Alhaji Mahama are both Muslims from Dagbon. Prof. Mills on Thursday chose Alhaji Mumuni, 55, who is the chairman of the NDC's legal and constitutional committee. Alhaji Mumuni was chosen over Mr John Mahama, former Minister of Information, when the field was narrowed to only two candidates.