Senior figures within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were strongly advocating for Ambrose Dery to be chosen as Nana Akufo-Addo’s running mate in the 2008 election. This was detailed in the book The President Ghana Never Got.
The book, written by award-winning Ghanaian investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, reveals that Akufo-Addo’s selection of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as his running mate encountered significant resistance from party leaders, who saw him as merely a skilled banker and economist.
Although Akufo-Addo was committed to having Dr. Bawumia as his running mate, some party members felt that Ambrose Dery was a stronger candidate for the role.
They argued that Dery was an experienced politician who could inspire and mobilize voters, whereas Bawumia was perceived as a dull banker lacking the charisma needed to sway voters toward the party.
Additionally, they contended that if Akufo-Addo sought Northern representation, Dery would be the ideal choice. Nonetheless, Akufo-Addo stood firm in his decision.
Following the party’s defeat in the election, the pressure on Akufo-Addo to replace his running mate intensified. However, he reportedly remained steadfast in his choice.
“Ambrose Dery is a lawyer, and I am a lawyer. I want someone with an economics background to complement me. I will do the politics and he will do the technical things,” Akufo-Addo reportedly told a current cabinet minister who was also an MP when the MPs clamoured for Ambrose Dery,
“I don’t want to blame my loss on that young man. If I change him, I’ll put the blame on him,” the book added.
Additionally, Akufo-Addo was keen to avoid any appearance of unfairness, especially since Dr. Bawumia, who was the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank at the time, had to step down from his role after being chosen as the running mate. Replacing him would have been entirely unjust.
Moreover, after the NPP lost the 2012 election and decided to contest the results in court, no politician was willing to risk taking the witness stand—except Dr. Bawumia.
A cabinet minister mentioned to the author that this was a political gamble that no one else was prepared to undertake.
However, Dr. Bawumia’s ability to display intelligence and quick thinking while responding to questions from lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata convinced all the top party officials that he was the ideal choice for the running mate position.
“Mounting the witness box could destroy a politician forever and the party appreciated Dr Bawumia for taking the risk on its behalf. But Dr Bawumia’s stature in the party soared not only because he witnessed. He dazzled members of his party with his brilliance in the witness box.
“He was sharp and witty, and not even the intimidating cross-examination from lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata could break him. When the hearing ended, he had won admirers beyond the political party. His detractors did not have any reason to doubt that Akufo-Addo had picked the best man for the position. If Akufo-Addo would contest again. Bawumia would, for the first time face no opposition.
In 2016, President Akufo-Addo later declared his intention to run in the upcoming election, and “no sane soul in the NPP opposed the selection of Dr Bawumia as running mate,” the book added.