'A lady running mate good for Mahama'

The former head of the Political Science Department at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Richard Amoako Baah, has said a female running mate for President John Mahama will be a good idea.

“I think that will be a good idea, but whether Ghanaians are ready or not is another question,” Dr Amoako Baah said when he was asked by Class91.3fm’s Executive Breakfast show host Ekow Mensah-Shalders whether Mr Mahama should consider choosing a female as running mate as pressure mounts on him to name his prospective deputy before the end of the year.

The leadership of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) recently gave the President the ultimatum when General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia addressed the media.

It is not clear if Mr Mahama will change Vice-President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur ahead of the 2016 elections, but another political science lecturer, Dr Evans Aggrey Darko, has said not retaining the vice-president will be politically inexpedient.

Contributing to the discussion on the Executive Breakfast Show, Dr Amoako Baah said anyone who is picked should be able to win votes for the President to get into office and have a combination of skills that will impact positively on the President’s performance if voted to lead the country.

To him, the flagbearer must do a thorough assessment to test whether the country is ready for a female vice-president before taking such a decision.

According to an assessment by Class News’ Fred Smith, female personalities who could be considered include Minister of Foreign Affairs Hannah Tetteh and Mawuena Trebarh, CEO of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).