All those aspiring to be Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s running mate and, thus, secretly bankrolling various media campaigns and groups to put pressure on the New Patriotic Party flagbearer to settle on them, are behaving childishly, a group called Patriotic Movement for Bawumia has said.

The group warns that there could be deep cracks in the governing party should Dr Bawumia succumb to any of those paid-for pressures.

“We are humbly advising our flagbearer, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, not to allow any individual or groups, to compel him or lure him into choosing a running mate against his actual or real choice”, the group urged, warning: “Allowing yourself to be manipulated in this manner has dire consequences on the party’s victory in this year’s presidential election”.

At a news conference in Kumasi, the group observed: “It is sad to note that the NPP members who must have been vigorously campaigning for our flagbearer, are at this crucial moment, busily exerting all their energies on adopting various diabolic strategies to force a running mate on Dr. Bawumia”.

“This is absurd and must be condemned by all people who mean well for the party.”

The group fears disunity should any of the secret bankrollers be named as running mate.

“Now, the problem we have at hand is, if our flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia chooses any of the people being forced on him by groups and individuals, through press conferences with threats, deliberate media interviews, campaigning flyers, delegations to him, etc, how would the other factions and neutral members of the party feel, react and respond to the announcement of such a choice?”

“Some of the people whose names have popped up as being interested in being Dr Bawumia’s running mate have been accused of sponsoring people to hold press conferences and sign petitions to forcefully cause our flagbearer, Dr. Bawumia make them his running mate. This childish modus, and odd way of operating in the NPP, if true, must be condemned in no uncertain terms. Selecting a running mate is the prerogative of the flag-bearer, and under no circumstance must he or she be made to choose a running mate under duress. Furthermore, this weak means of getting a person to become a running mate, has never been the NPP’s style; it is too disgracing and must cease forthwith”, the group noted.

The group said Dr Bawumia “is his own man” and, so, should be allowed “to select someone he has tested and finds capable of helping him lead the NPP to break the eight and consequently directing the next NPP government to continue to bring the needed development for our beloved country, Ghana”.