Be mindful that time isn’t on your side – Political Scientist tells NPP over running mate delay

Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante, a senior political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, has cautioned the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to fast-track processes leading to the announcement of its running mate for the December 7 general elections.

According to the political scientist, further delays “would pose a challenge to the party”, stressing that time is not on their side.

With the December 7 polls barely eight months away, the NPP’s flagbearer, Vice President Dr. Mohamudu Bawumia, has yet to announce his running mate as the party anticipates breaking the ‘eight’.

Dr. Asah-Asante highlighted the urgency of the issue, emphasising that time is of the essence as the nationwide euphoria for the election builds.

He, however, underscored the importance of having a thorough and wider consultation before finalising the selection of a running mate for Dr. Bawumia.

He cautioned against prolonged delays, highlighting the risk of facing heightened scrutiny and challenges for the chosen candidate if announced too late into the campaign.

“The party must be mindful of the fact that time is not on their side. Yes, you want to consult broadly but you can’t spend all your life on that. By now, they should be out with a candidate who has all the qualities that they want so that it doesn’t delay the campaign unnecessarily.

“If you wait, the issue is that you bring the person in, then the person now comes to face with the campaign already set in motion. People will now want to scrutinize the person, they will want to assess the person, and they will want to throw all manner of things at the person and that is the best means by which you can see how best you can shepherd your candidate and then prepare him/her for the task ahead,” he said in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM.

“I think the delay is becoming too much. I think the party must quickly come out with a running mate,” Dr. Asah-Asante noted.

Meanwhile, a pro-NPP group called the Patriotic Movement for Bawumia stated that Dr. Bawumia must choose a running mate without undue pressure from various factions within and outside the party.