With the dust settling over the selection of Mahamudu Bawumia to partner Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, and the earlier selection of John Dramani Mahama to partner the National Democratic Congress's John Evans Atta Mills, attention is now shifting to the other parties, especially the Convention People's Party and the People's National Convention.

Information reaching The Statesman indicates that barring any last minute hitches, Foster Abu Sakara, CPP Ist National Vice Chairman, is likely to be named Paa Kwesi Nduom's running mate in the December elections. The announcement is expected to be made on September 21.

The CPP flag-bearer had earlier announced a shortlist of four, which included Dr Sakara, as those he was considering for the slot, and whose names he had forwarded to the CPP leadership, apparently without discussing it with the potential running mates.

A day after the disclosure, Kwabena Duffuor, former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, whose name was also on the list, expressed surprise at the development. He told the Daily Graphic as far as he was concerned, no one in the party had ever discussed such an issue with him, stressing that as much as he appreciates Dr Nduom's interest, he was not interested in the position.

This was contrary to Dr Nduom's claim that some elders of the party had been asked to engage the four in discussions, after which Dr Nduom himself and the Central Committee of the CPP would settle on the most suitable.

Dr Nduom made his disclosure a few days after the NPP selected Mahamudu Bawumia, Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, as its pick for the running mate slot.

Prof. Agyemang Badu Akosa, a former CPP presidential aspirant, and Alhaji Sulley Gariba, a Tamale-based businessman, completed the Nduom list of four. Anna Bossman, Acting head of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice has also been proposed by some party activists, but so far no serious effort has been made to rope her in, though our sources within the party leadership say she is still being considered.

Dr Abu Sakara, who is also the Executive Director of Rural and Agriculture Development Associates, was elected CPP 1st National Vice Chairman ahead of Eric Benyarko and Araba Bentsi Enchil at the party's National Delegates' Congress in December last year. He is very active in the on going Nduom campaign and appears to appeal to a broad section of the party.

He is a Gonja and is directly related to the overlord of Gonja land.

A source close to the campaign, while declining direct comment, likened the situation in the CPP to the events in the run¬up to the selection of the NPP running mate, during which various names were mentioned as likely to partner Nana Akufo-Addo, but in the end relatively unknown Mahamudu Bawumia got the nod.

In the next few days Dr Nduom would be consulting with all parts of the party for a firm decision on who completes the CPP ticket, the source added.

PNC leader Edward Mahama is also reported to be holding intense consultations with his party leadership, while the Democratic Freedom Party's Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi has promised to name his running mate by the end of this month.


Source: Statesman