Opoku-Agyemang deserves to be retained as running mate for Mahama – Kwesi Ahwoi

A few days after the nomination form was picked for former President John Mahama to lead the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), into the 2024 presidential election, a staunch member of the party, Ambassador Kwesi Ahwoi has suggested that Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang deserves to be retained as running mate.

In an exclusive interview with Starr News Eastern Regional Correspondent, Kojo Ansah at the sidelines of an event at Koforidua Technical University on Friday, Kwesi Ahwoi said even though former President Mahama has the prerogative right to appoint any running mate of choice, nothing stops him from re-appointing his 2020 running mate to partner him again into 2024.

“I have made a lot of statements. I have made a statement that I will do everything to make sure President John Mahama comes back to be President of this country and of course, he has to decide who will be his running mate. I don’t see anything wrong at all and nothing that stops Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang from being the running mate”. Ambassador Kwesi Ahwoi stated.

The former Interior Minister and current Chairman of Former Ambassadors and High Commissioners under the NDC, dismissed old-age arguments against Prof.Jaane Naana Opoku Agyemang. He said Prof.Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, can rise to become the next President after John Mahama.

“People are talking about age and all. Age is not a concern. Age is being made a concern because we have a leadership today that is making age look like we have lost track. But if I tell you my age standing here you will be amazed but I have not lost track. So Naana whether she is 78, 79, or 80 can still be President of this country when President John Mahama finishes his service, that should not be a worry at all. Senior Kwabena Duffuor is putting in his cap. Kwabena Duffuor should be getting close to 79, what does he get to do with that, he got his brains, he got everything that he can use to lead this country.so I don’t see anything wrong with that(old age), Is it because Naana is a woman?” he quizzed.

Ambassador Kwesi Ahwoi said it is about time women are given opportunity to rule the country given the fact that men have been tried enough.

“It is about time we put a woman in charge of this country . They have a lot to offer this country. We have tried men, we’ve seen where men have taken us. Let’s try the women”.

Answering a question about whether or not Prof. Jaane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, will attract more votes for the NDC when made running mate to seal the party’s victory, Kwasi Ahwoi said Central region is an amorphous region therefore the seemingly poor performance of the party in 2020 should not be a litmus test for her re-appointment as running mate.

“It is the party that brings numbers it is not really the individual….if the party is strong the candidate is only a reflection of the party. But specifically, she also has her constituency, she can pull resources, and she can pull people. Most people are not calculating things well they think we lost in the central region. We lost the presidential election in Centralia Region because people forget that the central region is an amorphous region. It is not only Fantes. Central region is a combination of Ashantes, Akyems, Denkyiras just name it so don’t look at Fante and say because Naana is a Fante he should bring Central region, no! We have to go beyond that”.

Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, an academician, the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, and a former Education Minister was the running mate for the 2020 Presidential candidate of NDC John Dramani Mahama.

However, lost the election to incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party who polled 6,730,587 represented 51.30% as against 6,213,182 vote representing 47.36% polled by John Dramani Mahama of the NDC.