President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has subtly endorsed his Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia ahead of the governing New Patriotic Party’s November flagbearer elections.
The President for the first time, publicly revealed the reason behind his selection of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as his running mate.
He explained that Dr. Bawumia was selected for his exceptional qualities of truthfulness, goal orientation, and unwavering commitment to achieving collective objectives.
He also added that he needed somebody from the North to help him govern the country and unify the nation as a whole.
“Of all the people, why did I choose Bawumia as the Vice President, my goodness, that is a lot of questions. But em…. I think you are aware [that] in terms of the balance, people from the south, people from the north… I think that for the unity of the country, it is good that we have a leadership where Northerners and Southerners are together so that the country can remain united.”
These remarks were made during a recent visit to the Jubilee House, Ghana’s presidential seat, by pupils and teachers of the Association International School on October 26.
Additionally, President Akufo-Addo commended Dr. Bawumia for his honesty and direct communication style, expressing his preference for individuals who speak candidly.
He stated, “He [Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia] is an honest person. He speaks honestly to you. He is not one of those people who you have to guess what they are trying to say, he says what he has to say directly. These are some of the reasons why I chose Dr Bawumia to be my vice president,” he added.
“He [Dr Mahamudu Bawumia] is from the North and I wanted somebody from the North to partner me for the election and then for the governance. He [Dr Mahamudu Bawumia] is also a clever man and I needed his brains to help me govern the country effectively,” President Akufo-Addo.
President Akufo-Addo’s decision to choose Dr. Bawumia as his running mate initially raised questions and concerns within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and among political observers, as Dr. Bawumia was not a well-known figure in Ghanaian politics at the time.
Nevertheless, Akufo-Addo stood by his choice, and they contested together in the 2008 and 2012 elections, narrowly missing victory on both occasions to the NDC led by John Evans Atta Mills and John Mahama, respectively.
In 2016 and 2020, the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia ticket secured victory, and they have since served as President and Vice President, respectively, for a combined period of six years and ten months.
