Running mate’s region not a major consideration for voters – Presidency Research Director

The Director of Research at the Jubilee House, Dr Isaac Owusu Mensah, has clarified that the data available does not support claims that voters in a region will vote for a ticket in the presidential election because the running mate is from that region.

This follows calls for the New Patriotic Party to select its running mate from the Ashanti Region, where almost ten persons are actively lobbying to be considered.

In an interview with Citi News, Dr Owusu Mensah said selecting a running mate from the Ashanti region will not be the major consideration for voters.

He cited his research, which showed that less than 20% of voters go to the polls because the vice presidential candidate comes from their region.

He pointed out that, while Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur delivered the Central Region for the NDC in 2012, he was unable to do so in 2016.

“Before I came to the Jubilee House, I did some work on the role of the Vice Presidential candidate and less than 20 percent of the people we spoke to went to the polls because the Vice President was coming from their region. We did because in 2012 Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur delivered the Central but in 2016 he couldn’t.

“The running mate is important but less than 20 percent who go to the polls to cast their vote go to the polls because the running mate is coming from there.

Dr. Owusu Mensah emphasized that the ability to mobilize voters is more important than the running mate’s region of origin.