Report reaching DGN Online indicates that the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has turned the choice of running mate selected by the party’s flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.
At a hurriedly arranged meeting of regional chairpersons of the party at the NDC regional office in Accra on Sunday evening, ahead of NEC meeting on Monday, the chairmen flatly turned down former Education Minister, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as the running mate to Mr Mahama.
The former president was said to have personally called some of the chairmen to sell his choice to them ahead of the meeting but they were swayed by superior arguments against the former Education Minister.
Sources close to the meeting indicate the some of the Chairmen rooted for former Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor while Ade Coker was championing for Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko.
Report says Awuah-Darko’s name was not among the shortlist.
Dr Duffuor was the front runner until he was slapped with charges of fraud and money laundering over the collapsed of Unibank which he owned. He is not a known political platform speaker.
Mr Mahama had earlier offered the slot to former Finance Minister under Jerry John Rawlings, Dr Kwesi Botchwey who rejected the offer on grounds of trust and principle telling the NDC flagbearer his fear of retiring from politics with a defeat in apparent reference to Mahama’s inability to win the 2020 polls.
NDC National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and General Secretary, Johnso Asiedu Nketiah had earlier protested the choice of Naana Opoku Agyemang who appears to enjoy the support of the moribund Fanti Confederacy headed by the Patriarch of the Ahwoi family, Ato.
The regional chairman after the meeting quickly drove straight to Chain Homes residence of Mahama to tell him that his choice will not resonate with Ghanaians.
Prof Opoku Agyemang was not known to be a card bearing member of the party having said it openly that she was not a registered member of the NDC.
She was the architect of the scrapping of the Trainee Teachers allowance when she was Education Minister.
There are strong indications the scheduled NEC meeting for Monday may be called off to allow for more consultations if the disagreement is not resolved ahead of time.