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* “It is easy to imagine what the dynamic might be like between them and it is possible to anticipate what kind of responsibilities she will have” *
Selecting a vice presidential candidate / running mate in Ghana with much fanfare in the run-up to the general election has become a tradition. However, 2020 is an exception due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the need to comply with security protocols.
For example, the current largest opposition party, the Democratic National Congress, (NDC) now has many meetings with members at the top of the party’s hierarchy. In addition, by externalizing its running mate, the NDC adopted an appropriate strategy in line with COVID-19 security protocols, thereby reducing the usual fanfare that characterizes such occasions. This should tell us the time in which we live and the nature of the political campaign and the elections that we are going to have in 2020.
The process for exposing a vice presidential candidate to partner with the NDC standard-bearer and its resulting dynamics has not been met with the coverage it deserves as seen in 2008 and 2012, respectively, leaving much to be desired ahead of us. as a nation. This is simply because the outcome of the 2020 election has many important implications for both Running Mates and its matches from 2021 to 2024.
From the inception of Democratic government in 1993, the Office of the Vice President was ceremonial and seemed insignificant until the selection of the late President Mills in 1997 as Vice President to President Rawlings. The 1992 Constitution clearly establishes that the vice president, among other things, presides over the Armed Forces, the Police, the Meetings of the National Security Council and the Economic Management Team of the government in power. Based on the foregoing, the office has become an integral part of our nation’s government, where comprehensive decisions are made and implemented.
The current vice president, HE Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has made a niche for himself in the area of policies, projects and programs and; accredited with “Ghana Digitization Agenda”. Once again, he has become the masterful spokesperson for both the New Patriotic Party (PNP) and the government. This is due to his experience in economic development and, more importantly, his strong relationship with President Nana Akufo-Addo. The same could not be said in the early days of President Rawlings’ democratic tenure when a misunderstanding broke out in a cabinet meeting between him and Vice President Eckow Nkensen Arkaah, leading to an ongoing dispute.
Then the presidency of former President Kuffuor also ushered in a new presidential movement in which his vice, HE the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama became more ceremonial compared to what we experienced under the late President Mills and his then vice president, John Mahama (JM). to the extent that the opposition could not ignore the work of the then vice president JM; hence the genesis of the term, the “Mills-Mahama administration” by his political opponents. That was how deep their bond was, though some strong forces within the NDC also had another agenda until the late president’s passing in 2012, making JM the obvious choice for the party.
However, we are entering an election with a new dynamic in which the selection of the running mates has become crucial to the success of the Standard bearer and the party in the next elections. This is evident from the election of the current vice president, whose background became the benchmark for JM CHOICE, as he achieved a masterstroke by selecting Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang (NJOA). The month of July has been about the pedigree of fellow racers as seen in 2016 with the nominations of HE the Late Kwesi Bekoe Amissah Arthur and Bawumia. The above options are certainly in line with the conventional wisdom that the vice presidential candidate matters especially in the gestation period: THE CAMPAIGN. But the selection of JM for the 2020 elections does not follow the previous pattern. Rather, it revealed that NJOA’s election was geared toward governing rather than just winning. Therefore, it is imperative to note that should JM win the December 2020 election, his vice president will automatically become the most significant vice president in Ghana’s history. She will be seen as a potential president on hold; a new signal for the NDC in the years to come, and the most important player in helping Mahama run the country effectively.
The current dispensation of governance in the Presidency and its various obligations are already too much for one person. As a vice of Late Mill, JM was able to redefine the office by assuming a level of responsibility that his predecessors never did. Therefore, much is expected of him to show the same level of coordination with the professor, which was rarely displayed during his tenure with the late Kwesi Amisssah Arthur.
Consequently, it is anticipated that should JM be re-elected, he will have to adopt new techniques and potentially expand the authority of the Vice President’s office beyond precedent. This is necessary, as it will be history in the annals of our nation where a woman of crafty caliber is veep. His appointment brings enormous challenges. The most important question is if JM wins, will his men and women of the right hand be willing to give him the necessary space to carry out his tasks and his mandate for the development of the nation? Those tasks and responsibilities on it will become more important as the country fights the real shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic; awaken the bulk of youth; withstand economic challenges; and takes into account the issues of our gender norms in all areas of our nation’s development.
In my interaction with former Member of Parliament for Sefwi-Akontombra Hon. Herod Cobbina, a well-known grassroots politician in the NDC North Western Region hinted that “JM’s election will probably be the most powerful Veep in Ghanaian history because the trend is to have a more powerful vice president. JM knows the value of having a vice president with many responsibilities, and how he will face challenges as president in his term; almost all their decisions must be correct with pragmatic solutions ”.
The inference is that JM will serve as a “TRANSITIONAL PRESIDENT” to usher in a new wave of activism and membership of younger and more diverse Social Democrats. The election is also likely to face a degree of attention and scrutiny that other vice presidents have never had. Mahama’s task after his victory would be to maintain a healthy and effective relationship with his vice, without worrying that she would overshadow him.
Michael Feldman, Al-Core’s roving chief of staff for the US 200 presidential elections, once said, “History tells us that important presidents and vice presidents appear at times when they are tried and tested.” Perhaps he is right in saying that there is simply no possibility that NJOA is not a consistent vice president or a consistent historical figure.
What was also almost certain about this choice is that, if elected, she will be seen as the heir apparent. This is perhaps especially true when looking at her age and exposure after serving as vice president, bearing in mind the theme of a more diverse NDC IN A FEW YEARS TO COME, sending signals to the younger population that the NDC as a party cares about equality. representation at the top of your ticket any day (REBRANDING). Therefore, her job as vice president would be more challenging as she would be vetted and tested to the core, which could set another vice presidential milestone by launching a presidential campaign in the middle of the first term, while still serving as Mr. Mahama delegate. her, something the vice presidents have never done.
In the aspect of your launching a campaign shortly after the election as vice president, it will mean that you will assume a level of influence over internal NDC politics that some vice presidents in Ghana do not usually have. By crafting an agenda for your own administration for about 2023, you will be setting a preview of what the NDC might look like for the rest of the 2020s. If that agenda is more open, it will also help energize younger and more diverse votes, the NDC will urgently need a few more years, attracting goodwill not only for its campaign, but also for JM.
This is revealing because she will have to spend time defining herself as a partner in government as she fends off speculation about any conflict at Flagstaff / Jubilee House, especially if the press begins to over-analyze her broader political ambitions. If you do your job well, you may be accused of trying to be too independent. If you try to keep a low profile, you will be criticized for having no ambitions.
How you handle these issues will determine your attributes and character as a leader?
Some political experts have revealed that female candidates to run also change elections due to their expected expanded role within their administration, therefore, their most important qualities will be their ability to work as part of the executive team and govern effectively. JM’s experience as a former veep and president, respectively, may lead him to establish a true association with his veep, as his choice was not based only on electoral politics, but on his prowess in governing as a woman.
Like the Executive Presidency we are seeing, it will no longer allow Vice Presidents to be insignificant starting in 2021. They may prefer to make or break a campaign or a presidency.
Kofi Kesse-Sefwi Akontombra
An observer from afar
