The Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has cautioned the public to desist from putting up her name as one of the persons seeking to become running mate to the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation says she has not expressed any interest in the portfolio, neither has she asked anyone to put her name up as a potential choice for the party’s flag bearer.
According to her, if the flag bearer himself finds her worthy to partner him for the elections, she is ever ready to offer her support.
“People may speculate my name but I have not told anybody that I am interested in any position. If the flag bearer thinks in his wisdom that I can assist him, why not?
“No media person can ever say anywhere that I have contacted him to put my name out there or anybody for that matter. I think the flag bearer should be given the space to choose who he thinks can best partner him. It will be great if a female is chosen and I made this call eight years ago,” she said on Accra-based Citi FM Monday, June 24, 2024.
Madam Owusu-Ekuful urged the public to allow Dr. Bawumia to maker his choice without any external pressure, adding that it is even disrespectful to lobby for such a portfolio since it undermines the decision making authority of the party’s presidential candidate.
“Let him be given the space to choose the person he best thinks can partner with him. I think it is even disrespectful for people to be lobbying as if he can’t make his own decision.
“Is that a position you lobby or gamble for? I am absolutely against any active seeking of any such position. It is an appointed position. I think the flag bearer should be left and given the space to decide who he thinks can best partner him,” she continued.
She expressed the need for Dr. Bawumia to be given the space to select someone she thinks can complement him.
“It is an appointed position and I think the flag bearer should be left alone and given the space to decide who he thinks can best partner him and boost his chances in the election.
With six months to the December general elections, the NPP has no running mate for its flag bearer contrary to what is stated in their constitution, requiring a flag bearer who is not the president to name his running mate one clear year to the elections.
On December 06, 2023, when leadership of the party and elders met with the flag bearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, he asked for extension of time to allow him to conduct further consultations to come up with a name.
Several calls have come for Dr. Bawumia to select a female candidate following the naming of Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, to again, partner John Dramani Mahama of the NDC for the December 07 polls.
Some names have since popped up, including the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund, Irene Naa Torshie Addo, the Vice Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and Ursula Owusu-Ekuful among other persons.
