Former President John Dramani Mahama has reportedly chosen Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election, according to Asaase Radio.
Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who previously served as the Minister of Education during Mahama’s presidency from 2013 to 2017, was also his running mate in the 2020 general election, which the NDC lost.
This decision, if true, signals the NDC’s commitment to maintaining a vice presidential candidate from the Central Region, continuing a trend that started in 2012.
This marks the second time in the history of the NDC that a running mate has been chosen consecutively. The NDC, since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, has traditionally had different running mates for each election.
John Mahama, in 2012, ran with Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur and won, while in 2016, the same pair lost the election. In 2020, following Amissah-Arthur’s death, Mahama selected Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, resulting in another electoral defeat.
The NDC, according to Asaase, initially considered potential candidates from three regions—Ashanti, Central, and Eastern. However, the nod ultimately went to Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang from the Central Region.
Among the notable figures considered were Julius Debrah, a former chief of staff from the Eastern Region, and Kwame Awuah-Darko, a politician and entrepreneur from the Ashanti Region.
While there are differing opinions within the NDC about the political impact of retaining Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as the running mate, the decision reflects a strategic choice in the party’s pursuit of the December 2024 general election victory.
A very good decision but think age has catch up with the Professor since Mahama is only raining a term. I think also that, a young personality is chosen to cary on after 2028. God richly bless the NDC