Retain Mumuni as Mills’ running mate — Group

Story: Vincent Adedze, Tamale

THE coalition of National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth groups in Tamale has entreated the leadership of the party to retain Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni as the running mate of the party’s flag bearer, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, for the 2008 general election. 
The groups noted that any attempt by the rank and file of the party to reject Alhaji Mumuni would spell more difficulties for the party in this year’s elections.
They further contended that Alhaji Mumuni had massive support in the Zongo communities and his choice as running mate would help brighten the chances of the NDC in its quest to wrest power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
A spokesperson for the groups, Mr Hamza Alhassan, stated this at a press conference in Tamale to draw the attention of the leadership of the party to alleged clandestine moves by some leading members of the party in the Northern Region to reject Alhaji Mumuni as the running mate of Prof. Mills.
The groups recounted several meetings that had allegedly been held with some youth in Tamale by some leading members of the party to convince them to reject Alhaji Mumuni and instead go for Mr John Mahama, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bole-Bamboi.
According to the spokesperson, information reaching the groups indicated that some business executives within the party in the region had pledged to donate 80 pick-up vehicles to the party if the rank and file rallied behind Mr Mahama.
Mr Alhassan, however, stressed that the groups were not against the selection of Mr Mahama as running mate but considered Alhaji Mumuni as one who could enhance the chances of the party in the forthcoming elections.
“The choice of a running mate should not be based on ethnicity, money or religious considerations, as any attempt to do that will give the NPP the chance to win power again. We should rather consider the marketability of the candidate, as well as his commitment to the party,” he further pointed out.