I’m not eyeing Veep’s post- Oko Vanderpuije

The Mayor of Accra, Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, has debunked claims in the media that he is lobbying the presidency to join President Mahama as his running mate for the 2016 general elections.

Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuye was speaking on Sunday on Adom FM’s “Tuo Time” programme with William Smith aka Dj Willie.

According to him, it is only President John Dramani Mahama who has the power to appoint someone as his running mate, not him [Oko Vanderpuije].

“We have a president who can appoint or nominate a qualified person to partner him ahead of the 2016 general elections,” Oko Vanderpuije stressed.

Oko Vanderpuije, who is contesting in the upcoming NDC primaries as parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma South constituency in Accra, said, “I’m only interested in my MP position not running mate position.”

“I don’t have control or the powers to nominate myself as the running mate for the president but he [Mahama] his Excellency has the powers to do so.”

Barely a month ago, a group calling itself the “Ga-Adangme Youth of the NDC” petitioned President Mahama to consider the Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, as his running mate for the 2016 general elections as a means of addressing the “marginalization of the Greater Accra Region in both the presidential and running mate positions over the years.”

The group has sent a petition to the president dubbed “Make Oko Vanderpuije the running mate for the NDC.”

A spokesperson for the group, Abdul Aziz explains that they are not doubting the competencies of Amissah-Arthur, but they are only telling the President and all the national executives of the NDC that they should just consider a Ga because it is their turn.

The PRO said Oko Vanderpuije stands tall among all the Ga’s, a reason they want him to become the running mate for the NDC come 2016 election.

But Oko Vanderpuije said his focus is on the parliamentary primaries not the running mate for Mahama “because we already have a competent sitting vice president.”