Make Odamtten running mate to Mahama - Volta NDC Group

A group of National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists have called on the party’s flagbearer for the 2020 general election, former President John Mahama, to choose a former Mayor of Tema, as his Running mate.

According to the “Activists for Victory 2020” (AfV-2020), Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten, had the qualities and lineage that perfectly fitted a person who would naturally balance out the NDC’s 2020 Presidential ticket, led by a Northern man with communication background.

“Mr Odamtten has finance background, having been a Bank Manager before, and therefore has the necessary Economic background that is needed in a Vice President who by the convention, heads the Economic Management Team,” Mr P. Dzidzienyo, a leading member of the NDC from the Keta Constituency said at a News conference in Accra.

The news conference was held at a time when a tug-of-war was going on among executives and activists of the three constituencies in Tema, over whether Mr Ashai Odamtten should run for MP in Tema East, Tema West or Tema Central.

AfV-2020, which said the former Mayor was too valuable to allow misunderstandings to hamper a decision about contesting.

They said Mr Odamtten was actually more valuable than a Parliamentary ticket and should rather be made Running Mate.

“Ethnically, Mr Odamtten’s paternal lineage is Ga, and it is no secret that within the NDC, there is this strong feeling that the time has come for a Ga to lead the party, since the Greater Accra region is one of the important loyal regions to the NDC.

“But it gets even better, in Mr Odamtten, we still will have a Running Mate who will appeal to the Akan ethnic group since his mother is a Fanti from Otuam,” Mr. Dzidzienyo said.

In addition to that, he enumerated that Mr Odamtten was a former fisherman, a former footballer, a farmer who reared livestock and former Teacher who had teaching spells in the Volta and Northern Regions among other places.

“It is also to be noted that Isaac Ashai Odamtten is a preacher,” Mr. Dzidzienyo added, pointing out that the man’s appeal is to a very wide constituency.

Already, there is a tag-of-war in Tema, as to whether Mr Ashai Odamtten, who is currently in the US, should run for MP in Tema East, Tema West or Tema Central. There has also been a call for him to run in his maternal native land, Otuam, where he is said to command a lot of respect and popularity.

However, those who argue that he runs in Tema pointed out that his most important political legacy was in Tema, where as Mayor for four years under former President Mahama, he left so many developmental footprints.

It is as this debate is going on that AfV-2020, started its own line of suggestion that former President Mahama should make him his Running Mate.

Mr Agbeli Nyo, an activist of the NDC from the Volta Region, who partnered Mr. Pascala Dzidzienyo stressed that President Mahama would be making the party winsome if he chose a Ga Running Mate.

“After the Volta Region, Greater Accra has arguably been the most loyal to the NDC. All these years, the region has not had a taste of the Presidency, choosing a Ga will be a source of huge attraction for Ga votes in the region.”

He said, if the former President would listen to the advice and settle for a Ga, then Mr Ashai Odamtten would be the perfect choice.