A Senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante, has called on the flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to announce his running mate for the December 2024 polls, to avoid any controversies.

Dr. Asah-Asante underscored the need to have a broader consultation before settling on the choicest of candidates but added that, the vice president may not be able to have enough time to embark on a nationwide campaign as the times are running out.

In an interview with Citi News, the political scientist maintained that prolonged delays could have serious repercussions on the fortunes of the party during the upcoming polls.

He opined that, “the party must be mindful of the fact that time is not on their side. Yes, you want to consult broadly but you can’t spend all your life on that. By now, they should be out with a candidate who has all the qualities that they want so that it doesn’t delay the campaign unnecessarily."

“If you wait, the issue is that you bring the person in, then the person now comes to face with the campaign already set in motion. People will now want to scrutinize the person, they will want to assess the person, and they will want to throw all manner of things at the person and that is the best means by which you can see how best you can shepherd your candidate and then prepare him/her for the task ahead."

In conclusion, Dr. Asah-Asante reiterated, “I think the delay is becoming too much. I think the party must quickly come out with a running mate.”