For the purposes of maximising votes, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Mahamdu Bawumia, will have to look at the Ashanti Region, the stronghold of the NPP, to select his running mate, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Social Research, Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), Professor Smart Sarpong, has said.
Prodf Smart Sarpong explains that the people who are calling for a running mate from Ashanti region are looking at the numbers and one who can whip up the the voters to come out and vote from the Ashanti.
“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 that 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 a 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 whop up the voters to come out and vote from the Ashanti,” he said on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Thursday June 6.
Prof. Smart Sarpong, further told Dr Bawumia to consider a running mate who is charismatic and can appeal to the youth. To him, 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
“Apart from he 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,” he said.
The Managing Director of the State Transport Company (STC) Nana Akomea has said that Dr Mahamadu Bawumia will announce his running mate at the end of June.
The former Communications Director of the NPP stated Dr Bawumia has already reached a decision on who would become his running mate.
Asked who Dr Bawumia has selected as running mate while speaking on the Sunrise show on 3FM Thursday, June 6, the former lawmaker for Okaikwei South said “Dr Bawumia has reached a decision, he will announce by June end.”
Dr Bawumia has been campaigning ahead of the 2024 general elections.
As Ghana prepares for its upcoming elections, recent survey results have revealed a competitive political landscape with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) leading in popularity among voters.
According to the survey, by Professor Smart Sarpong, the NDC holds 38.8% of the votes, while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) follows closely with 34.5%.
The baseline report on 275 constituencies by Political Analyst Prof Smart Sarpong, had a total sample size of 59,547 selected from the full 275 sub-samples, with Each sub-sample representing a proportional share of total contribution to voter population as per the 2020 voter register.
The survey, carried out in April 2024 and covering all 16 regions of the country, reveals that a significant portion of the electorate, 23.1%, remains undecided, potentially making them a crucial factor in the final outcome. Smaller parties, collectively, hold a marginal 3.6% of voter support.
The survey findings indicate a different trend when it comes to preferred presidential candidates. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP leads with 38.9% support, slightly ahead of the NDC’s John Dramani Mahama, who has 36.1% support. Undecided voters constitute 21.4%, and other candidates collectively account for 3.6%.
The survey also explored the main factors influencing voter decisions. Competence tops the list, with 50.3% of respondents indicating it as their primary consideration. Track records of presidential candidates are crucial for 22.5% of voters, while party affiliation matters to 19.1%. Interestingly, 3.7% of respondents admitted that financial inducement could sway their vote.
The report further adds voters have identified unemployment as the most pressing issue, with 21.1% highlighting it as their primary concern. Economic improvements are also high on the agenda, with a cumulative 33.7% of respondents citing various economic issues.
Poor infrastructure, including roads, water, and power, are significant concerns. Other critical issues include illegal mining, LGBTQ rights, corruption, and poor sanitation.