Former President John Dramani Mahama has purportedly made the decision to retain Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as his running mate for the 2024 election.
The information was disclosed by a host of Adom TV’s morning show, Badwam Mpensenpensenmu, who claimed to have received the information from reliable sources close to Mahama.
The host, who interrupted the programme to announce the breaking news, said: “Listen and listen well, the breaking news coming in is that His Excellency John Dramani Mahama has nominated Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang. He has settled on the woman that she will be his running mate for the 2024 election. What I am telling you is from conversations had from the office, from the house, from the bedroom, from the car of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. It is that, he has settled on Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang. In the next few days to come, he will introduce her as his running mate to the NDC.”
This piece of information was also shared on a pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) Twitter page, @AnnanPerry. The tweet mentioned that the information is yet to be officially confirmed by the flagbearer and the party.
Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, if confirmed, will be making a return as Mahama’s running mate, a position she held in the past. She was the first female running mate of a major political party in Ghana when Mahama selected her as his partner for the 2020 election.
With an impressive political portfolio, Professor Opoku Agyemang has served in various capacities, contributing significantly to the educational sector.
Prof Opoku-Agyemang is a former Minister for Education and a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast. She is a full professor of literature and a distinguished scholar.
She is widely respected for her achievements in the education sector and her contributions to the development of the country. She is also known for her calm and composed demeanour and her eloquence in public speaking. She has received several awards and honours, both locally and internationally, for her academic and professional excellence.
The choice, if proven could mean that the former president is confident in Prof Opoku-Agyemang abilities and believes that she can help him win back power from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). It also implies that Mahama is committed to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in the political sphere.
Meanwhile, the NPP’s flagbearer, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is yet to announce his running mate for the 2024 election. There are speculations that he may choose a candidate from the Ashanti region, which is considered a stronghold of the NPP.
Some of the names that have been mentioned as potential candidates include Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Energy, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications, and Frema Osei Opare, the Chief of Staff.
The selection of the running mates for both Mahama and Bawumia will have a significant impact on the outcome of the 2024 election, which is expected to be a keenly contested one.
The running mates will have to demonstrate their competence, charisma, and vision to the electorate and complement their flagbearers in their campaign strategies.
The 2024 election will also be a historic one, as it will be the first time that two former vice presidents will face each other in a presidential race.