President candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, says the time is right for Ghana to have a female Vice President.
Mahama on Monday officially outdoored Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang as his running mate, making her the first vice-presidential candidate of a major political party in Ghana.
However, some elements in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have mocked the decision to choose the former Education Minister as his running mate ahead of the 2020 polls.
Prof. Jane Naana Opoku- Agyemang, NDC running mate for 2020 election
At a press conference, the NPP’s Communications Director, Yaw Buaben Asamoa said going for Prof Opoku-Agyemang shows Mahama doesn’t take Ghanaians seriously.
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, also recently suggested that she lacks what it takes to occupy the role of Vice President.
Addressing some NDC supporters in Accra, Mahama shrugged off the criticisms, saying the time is right for Ghana to have a female Vice President.
“Many have said the time is not right for a woman veep; when will it ever be right? It is my hope that we will all rally behind her and support her,” he said.
The former President further stated that his selection of Prof Opoku-Agyemang affirms the NDC’s commitment to involving women in decision-making.
“Naana Jane is an accomplished woman who has made her mark, both nationally and internationally, and it is my belief that as a social democratic party, and a progressive party at that, if any party must be positioned in the history of our country to create the opportunity for women to serve in the highest offices of the land, then it is no other party than the NDC,” Mahama added.
Prof Opoku-Agyemang was a Vice-Chancellor at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and also served as Education Minister under the erstwhile Mahama administration.
Source: Pulse Ghana
