The running mate for Bawumia will come from the Ashanti region.

The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Osei Owusu, popularly known as Joe Wise has disclosed that the running mate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 elections will come from the Ashanti Region.

He said the party has agreed to select the partner for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia from the stronghold of the party.

Speaking in an interview with Joy News’ Evans Mensah, Mr Osei-Owusu confirmed that it is generally agreed for the running mate for the newly elected party’s flagbearer to be chosen from the Ashanti region.

This, the Bekwai MP who has also been tipped to be the running mate, says is the only solution to the party winning the 2024 general election.

“It is generally agreed in the party that if Bawumia wins, his running mate should come from the Ashanti region,” he said.

Asked whether Dr Bawumia has consented to that agreement, he replied “I think so.”

The First Deputy Speaker said he believes the perfect candidate for the position should have some values such as integrity, the person who commands respect in and out of the party to complement that of the new leader.

According to him, even though the candidates mentioned so far to be jostling for the position meet the criteria, “they aren’t the only group of people who are eligible to be nominated and I think that the field is wide.”

Asked why he is taking himself out of the equation although rumored to be a candidate, he said: “I think that we should allow the man the space to look at the whole game board and select.”

“I agree that the person must come from the Ashanti region because, in our party’s dynamics, it would help a lot to select from the Ashanti region,” he said.

Names that have emerged so far from the Ashanti Region are Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh; the Minister for Energy, Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei -Owusu and Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum.