The winner of the flagbearership race of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) must settle for a running mate from the the Volta Region, the region’s arm of the party has demanded.
Their demand comes after most contenders who hail from the Volta Region suffered major defeats at Saturday’s National Delegates Congress of the party.
National Organiser aspirant, Anita De-soso, a Voltarian, who was one of defeated candidates from the Volta Region said many Voltarian candidates who were aspiring to frontline positions meant that Ewes had been sidelined from the game.
Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, an Akan, is now the newly-elected Chairman of the NDC after beating Dan Abodakpi, a Voltarian, and three other aspirants at the Congress.
For the two-man General Secretary race, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, an Akan, beat his former Deputy, Koku Anyidoho, a Voltarian. Sammy Gyamfi, also an Akan, beat Fred Agbenyo, a Voltarian, to become the new National Communication Officer.
The Volta Region is seen as the electoral ‘World Bank’ of the NDC.
Some analyst and party members have, therefore, started making a case for a Voltarian to be made the running mate to whomever is elected flag bearer in December.
Speaking to AccraFM a day after the party’s National Delegates Congress which elected new national executives, Kafui Agbleze, Director of Communications for the NDC in the Volta Region said: “All Voltarians across the country are unified with one voice for a running mate from the region.”
Mr Agbleze, however, said the claim that “the Volta Region is not represented in the executive architecture … is untrue”.
“When you look at the two Deputy Youth Organisers, they are Ewes or they are Voltarians. When you look at the Deputy Women’s Organisers, one is a Voltarian. [With the] Deputy Organisers, one is a Voltarian. [With the] NEC members, two are Voltarians. [Of the] two Deputy Communications Officers, one is an Ewe”.
“Voltarians across the country are unified with one voice, they want one key substantive position; that is if John Mahama becomes the flag bearer or whoever becomes the flag bearer, Voltarians want a running mate. The Volta Region wants a running position. That is the thinking; that is the mindset; that is the reality on the ground in the Volta Region. This thing was even espoused before we went for the National Delegates Congress.”
