Former President John Dramani Mahama last month won his party’s nomination for the fourth time. His next assignment is to pick his running mate for the 2024 presidential election.
Since his first presidential race as flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress in 2012, John Mahama repeated his running mate in 2016.
Unfortunately, his Vice President and running mate died after the NDC lost the 2016 race as that running mate was seen to be preparing to challenge his former boss for the leadership of the NDC for 2020.
This is suspected to have influenced John Mahama’s subsequent choice of running mate, preferring to opt for a person who was not seen as having any special ambition of her own.
But, there is no guarantee he would repeat the same candidate for 2024. His running mate position is of additional interest because, in the event of the former President winning in 2024, the NDC would have to find a new presidential candidate for 2028, as John Mahama would have by then exhausted the constitutional two term limit.
This means that whoever is chosen is likely to be seen as the anointed successor whether the NDC wins the 2024 or not. Would John Mahama choose a candidate whose focus is likely to be more about the future succession or about supporting John Mahama to succeed? This appears to be his dilemma.
Mahama, who served in office first as vice President from 7th January 2009 till 24th July 2012 and as President from 24th July 2012 till 7th January 2017, but has lost two successive presidential election bids in 2016 and 2020, will again contest in the upcoming presidential election on 7 December 2024.
In December 2016, he contested the presidential elections with the late Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur the then Vice President) and lost to President Akufo-Addo with a vote difference of about one (1) million.
After regrouping his party’s troops, Mr Mahama, bounced back to contest the December 2020 presidential elections with his former Minister for Education, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, as his running mate, but lost again to President Akufo-Addo with a vote difference of over 500,000.
After winning an over whelming endorsement of his party faithful in the NDC’s presidential primaries on Saturday 13 May 2023, Mr Mahama has been handed a fourth opportunity to contest for the Ghanaian presidency.
Speculations are rife about the likelihood of Mr John Mahama re-naming Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang (71) as his running mate for the 2024 presidential elections even though there are several names that have also popped up as potential running mates for Mr Mahama’s candidature.
Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang is seen as a safe bet. She may not necessarily be exciting and bring anything special to the ticket, but what she is seen to bring is a peace of mind for John Mahama.
A running mate who appears to be content with just that and focused entirely on serving her boss. Choosing her will also show that Mahama is not favouring any person for the succession, which some in his kitchen cabinet see as necessary to keep everybody on board.
Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang born 22 November 1951 in Cape Coast, was appointed Minister for Education in 2013 by President John Mahama after the 2012 Ghanaian general election and served until January 2017 when the Nana Akuffo-Addo administration was elected to power.
Professor Opoku-Agyemang is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). She served as Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Coast, Ghana. She was the first female Vice-Chancellor of a state University in Ghana and she assumed duty on 1 October 2008, succeeding Emmanuel Addow-Obeng. Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang attended Anglican Girls’ Secondary School at Koforidua and Aburi Presby Girls’ School.
She then had her secondary education at the Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast from 1964 to 1971. She completed B.Ed.(Hons) in English and French at the University of Cape Coast in 1977 and obtained her Masters and Doctorate degrees from York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1980 and 1986 respectively.
Jane Opoku-Agyemang taught and worked at the University of Cape Coast, starting in 1986. She has held various academic positions including Head of the Department of English, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Warden of Adehye Hall, Valco Trust Fund Postgraduate Hostel, and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research.
From 1997, she has held the position of Academic Director of the School for International Training in the History and Cultures of the African Diaspora. From 2008-2012 she was the University’s Vice-Chancellor. In March 2007, she was one of five scholars selected to deliver presentations during the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.
In October 2009, she was elected Ghana’s representative to the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Ahead of the 2012 general elections, Jane Opoku Agyemang moderated the debate with Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
Opoku Agyemang has been honored with honorary degrees from the University of West Indies and Winston-Salem University. She has also received an award for Global leadership from the University of South Florida in Tampa.
