A top NDC official has revealed how the former Chief of Staff under the erstwhile NDC government turned down an offer to be appointed running mate to John Mahama ahead of the 2020 general elections.
With less than 10 months to the 2020 general elections, most Ghanaians especially members of the incumbent NPP party are in a haste to hear NDC announce its running mate.
However, a failed presidential aspirant of the NDC, Steven Atubiga has disclosed in an interview on Accra based radio station Class FM, that Julius Debrah the preferred candidate has refused the offer.
“Put me on record that former chief of staff Julius Debrah turned down the opportunity of becoming our running mate,” Mr Atubiga said.
According to Steven Atubiga, Julius Debrah refused the position because “He thinks he’s too young, he has a lot to do and he wants to serve the president at the background and his dream is to work.
“You remember if he didn’t become our chief of staff at the time that he took over, believe me we wouldn’t have gotten the numbers that we got. So, I’m just giving you a clue, he turned that opportunity down and opted out that he wasn’t interested and he doesn’t want it, he didn’t want it” he added.
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He also added that Atubiga revealed that fresh consultations have resumed to choose a new vice-presidential candidate from among a list of stalwarts of the party including a former second deputy governor of the Central Bank Dr Johnson Asiamah, former Attorney General Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong. The announcement he said will be done in the coming days before the end of March.
However, Volta Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), James Gunu, has advised agitating youth in the Region to stop pressurising the Party’s flagbearer, John Mahama to choose his running mate from the Region.
He said the move was a way of setting a “trap” for Mr Mahama, which was dangerous and uncharacteristic of a social democratic party.
James Gunu was reacting to reports that suggested some groups had petitioned the Party hierarchy to impress upon the Flagbearer to choose his running mate from the Region.
Article 43 of our Party’s constitution is clear on the choice of a Vice Presidential Candidate and so I urge our party folks, especially those who are pushing for the selection of a person from the Volta Region to remain calm and afford the Flagbearer the opportunity to select a suitable person who will definitely be a Ghanaian irrespective of tribe, religion and gender,” he stated.
