Sammi Awuku, the Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) has disclosed that the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has already decided who will partner him in the 2024 elections and will soon make an announcement.
He said the Vice President is done with the various consultations on his running mate and he will make the announcement next month.
Speaking on Yen Nsempa on Onua FM in Accra, Awuku who is a senior campaign aide to the vice president emphasized that Dr. Bawumia is still within an appropriate time frame to make the announcement.
He cited the example of then-candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, who selected Dr. Bawumia as his running mate in August 2008 for that year’s election.
“We are very much within the timeline. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was elected barely six months ago, so we still have time. If you recall, his nomination in 2008 was done somewhere in August. So, for us in the NPP, we are very much within our timelines,” Awuku stated.
“It can be tomorrow, it can be next week, it can be next month, it can be three days from now. The flagbearer at this point is very clear in his mind who his running mate is going to be, and when he is ready, he is going to announce that.”
Awuku also noted that Dr. Bawumia’s primary competition in the upcoming elections is not his running mate, but rather the NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.
“Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is in a contest with John Mahama. They are the two people who are going to be on the ballot paper, and these are people we have seen before.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s competition, his contest is the former president,” he added.
Sammi Awuku’s comments come amid speculations within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and among political analysts about the delay in naming a running mate