Member of Parliament for Bantama Constituency and Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, is of the assertion that it Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia must choose his running mate from the Ashanti Region to better his chances of winning the 2024 elections.
According to Asenso-Boakye, having a candidate from the Ashanti Region as Dr. Bawumia’s running mate would enhance the appeal and strength of their political ticket as it is the largest ethnic group in the country.
“Since Dr. Bawumia is from a minority tribe, it will make sense for his running mate to come from a majority tribe and Ashanti is your best bet,” Francis Asenso-Boakye said on Thursday, February 1, in an interview on Starr Chat.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, elected as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in November, is facing calls to select his running mate from the Ashanti Region. This recommendation comes after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who had been the NPP’s flagbearer since 2008, handed over the position to Dr. Bawumia.
Francis Asenso-Boakye acknowledged the calls for a running mate from the Ashanti Region. However, he mentioned that there are also arguments being made for a running mate from the Eastern Region as an alternative.
The emergence of names such as Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Education Minister Dr. Adwutwum, and others as frontrunners for the position indicates that discussions about potential candidates for the running mate position are actively taking place within the party.