Election 2024: Give Bawumia the space to select his running mate – Ursula Owusu to ‘lobbyists’
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, has observed that the presidential candidate of the NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, must be allowed to select his preferred running mate without any external pressures going into the December 7 election.
According to the Ablekuma West legislator, the idea of lobbying to be the running mate for Dr Bawumia casts doubt on the independence of the presidential candidate.
“Let him be given the space to choose the person he best thinks can partner with him. I think it is even disrespectful for people to be lobbying as if he can’t make his own decision,” said Ursula-Owusu in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM on Monday.
She added, “Is that a position you lobby or gamble for? I am absolutely against any active seeking of any such position. It is an appointed position. I think the flagbearer should be left and given the space to decide who he thinks can best partner [with] him.”
Also, she asked Ghanaians to stop pressuring the Vice President to choose his running mate.
“It is an appointed position and I think the flagbearer should be left alone and given the space to decide who he thinks can best partner him and boost his chances in the election,” she noted.
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Ms Owusu-Ekuful further indicated that, despite her name being speculated as a potential running mate to Dr Bawumia, she has not on any occasion approached anyone expressing interest.
“People may speculate my name but I have not told anybody that I am interested in any position. If the flagbearer thinks in his wisdom that I can assist him, why not?
“No media person can ever say anywhere that I have contacted him to put my name out there or anybody for that matter. I think the flagbearer should be given the space to choose who he thinks can best partner him. It will be great if a female is chosen and I made this call eight years ago,” she stated.
Meanwhile, calls for Dr Bawumia to select a female running mate have intensified recently, with Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare’s name being mentioned in a list that includes the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund, Naa Torshie.
