Alex Mould
As former President John Dramani Mahama’s self-confessed innate problem of indecision continues to hamper his ability to settle on a choice of running mate to partner him for the December general elections, Alex Mould, a former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC), has sent out a strong signal to the NDC flagbearer not to ignore him in his consideration.
Our latest information, however, is that Mr Mahama could settle on the 62-year old Leslie Mensah Tamakloe because he is not able to withstand the pressure coming from the Volta Caucus in the opposition party.
Mr Mould believes he is the most capable person in the National Democratic Congress to match the pedigree of Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia.
With less than seven months to go into the general election, sources within the NDC say Mr Mahama’s main problem is how to get a running mate who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Vice-President Bawumia, but doesn’t possess the political clout to become a threat to his “Agenda 2024”.
Mr Mould contends that his knowledge and experience from years of successful management of various entities put him in a good position to handle the current Vice-President.
NDC’s nightmare
Some stalwarts of the NDC have said that Mr Mahama has been unable to select a running mate because Vice-President Bawumia has raised the bar for the opposition party, even though the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, attributes the delay to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
They believe the Vice-President’s style of politicking and understanding of economic issues demand that the opposition party gets someone of similar pedigree.
Though some people within the NDC such as Inusah Fuseini have sought to claim publicly that Dr Bawumia is not considered as one of the criteria, our sources within the party has said the recent inclusion of Seth Terkper, former Minister of Finance, who is now said to be Mr Mahama’s favourite, in “the race” is because of the ‘Bawumia factor’. “JDM now thinks Terkper does not have what it takes to pose any threat to his 2024 ambitions, but sees him as the most appropriate person to take the fight to Bawumia when it comes to the debate on the economy,” our source said.
At par with Bawumia
Mr Mould’s current statement confirms information picked from our sources within the party, and public statements by some NDC stalwarts, including the suspended former Central Region Chairman, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, that the ‘Bawumia factor’ ranks high on the criteria for the selection of the party’s running mate.
Speaking on JoyNews‘PM Express on Monday, the former GNPC boss stated that while he does not believe that he is in any competition with Dr Bawumia, should he get the nod to become the running mate, he knows his pedigree puts him at par with the Vice-President.
“My pedigree shows that I have been able to manage some organisations, I have been able to deliver high performing organisations. If you’re talking about the economy, of course, I can deliver. If you’re talking about energy, I can deliver. If you are talking about any area, whether its trade, industry, infrastructure, I can deliver, because I have worked in these areas before,” he said.
He has therefore stated that he is ready to pair with Mr Mahama for the election. “I think there is a process that goes into it. The flagbearer has to work with the Functional Executives of the party in consultation with the elders and come up with criteria. If they call me and nominate me, and I pass the criteria, I definitely will accept it,” he said.
Already Daily Statesman’s high placed sources within the NDC say the names Mr Mahama has been considering include the daughter of party’s Founder, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings; a former Minister of Finance in the late Mills’ administration, Dr Kwabena Duffuor; a former Deputy Minister of Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson; a former Chief Executive of the NHIA, Sylvester Mensah; a former Managing Director of both TOR and BOST, Kwame Awuah Darko; and Kwesi Ahwoi, the “poster boy of the powerful Fante Caucus” in the party.
Source: Daily Statesman
