You Need to Choose a Charismatic Running Mate from the Ashanti Region Prof Smart Sarpong Tells Bawumia

Professor Smart Sarpong, as Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Research at the Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) has stated that the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, when choosing a running mate must choose someone who is charismatic enough to maximize his votes.

According to the academician, the flagbearer must consider choosing a running mate from the party’s World Bank.

There has been a clarion call for the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party to choose his running mate from the Ashanti region, which is the stronghold of the NPP.

Professor Sarpong explained that, party members calling on the Vice President to choose a running mate from the Ashanti region are looking at a running mate who has the capacity to mobilise votes for the party come December 7, 2024, when the general election will be held.

He said, “for the purposes of maximizing votes, among the factors that he has to consider will include the partner that will help him maximize his votes. I am sure for those who call for a running mate from Ashanti are mindful of the fact that it has for a long time been a stronghold of the NPP and perhaps nominating a vice from that region can contribute to whipping up the interest of the voters to come out and vote for the NPP. That will be the main reason.

“Apart from that anybody who can play that complementary role very well irrespective of which region he comes from provided he can complement the flagbearer and qualifies by age and by other standard definitions can be nominated.

“The people who are calling for a running mate from Ashanti region are looking at the numbers and who can whip up the voters to come out and vote from the Ashanti.”

Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight, Prof. Smart Sarpong, urged the vice president to consider a running mate who can appeal to the youth, who happen to be the majority of voters, adding that, such a running mate will add complementary votes to the NPP’s ticket.

“If the running mate is an inspirational person, if the running mate has charisma, if he is able to go down there and mobile votes and he appeals to the people most especially the youth, the person can add some good amount of complementary votes to the ticket of the flagbearer."

He further added, “Apart from him being an Ashanti, he has to pick somebody who is very charismatic, somebody who can appeal to the youth population, somebody who is down to earth.”

Kobina Darlington/