Constituency women organisers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Greater Accra Region have called on the Vice-President and Flagbearer of the party to consider choosing a woman as his running mate for the upcoming elections.
They noted that although, traditionally, the position of Vice-President has been predominantly occupied by men, the party has exceptional women whose expertise and accomplishments position them as highly suitable and qualified beyond measure.
During a press conference yesterday at the NPP Greater Accra Regional Office, Madam Perpetual Asante, the Deputy Regional Women Organiser, said although there are not many women participating in active politics in the country, Irene Naa Torshie Addo, Frema Osei-Opare, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, among other women, have shown they are capable of joining the Bawumia team as Vice-President.
Doing so, she argued, would also encourage other women to participate in governance willingly and selflessly for development.
“We know that, at this point, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is the party’s flagbearer, and will ensure that the NPP breaks the 8, come December 7, is yet to announce the individual to support him as running mate. It is obvious that a lot of names have popped up, but as women, we are advocating ours,” she said.
“We know for sure that our mothers, Frema Osei-Opare, Irene Naa Torshie Addo, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and others are equally capable of taking up that position to lead the party to victory, and bring about economic change,” she added.
Madam Perpetual Asante referred to the various roles these women are playing as Chief of Staff, Administrator of the District Assemblies Common Fund and Ministers of State.
Like the slogan of Dr. Bawumia, the women believe “it is possible” to break the 8 with women who constitute the majority of the party.
Not force but appeal
Speaking to the Daily Statesman on the sidelines of the press conference, Madam Perpetual Asante stressed that the women’s wing was not trying to be ‘rebellious’ but making a passionate appeal, especially as the running mate of Dr. Bawumia was yet to be announced.
“The female names mentioned have all the qualities in terms of education, self-esteem, courage and charisma to become the running mate. We are pleading with the National Executive Council, the Party and other movers and shakers of the party to add their voices to our call for a female running. We have the women,” she said.
In the event that a man becomes a running mate of the party, Madam Perpetual advocated, then majority of the Bawumia government should be women.
“We know that Dr. Bawumia has pledged to run a lean government of about 50 Ministers and and deputies to save costs, so we expect that 30 of them should be women,” she said.
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