The former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is back at post. Dr Bawumia served as vice presidential candidate to Nana Akufo-Addo, flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the just-ended elections, but his dreams of becoming vice president did not materialise. But with a year more to serve on his contract at the central bank, Dr Bawumia is said to be back in office as deputy governor. The selection of Dr Bawumia as running mate was met with a lot of protests when party bigwigs and other supporters pushed their individual and collective interests for the bid. Featuring prominently on the list of persons up for the party’s vice presidential nominee was Hajia Alima Mahama, Women and Children’s Affairs Minister and Member of Parliament for Nalerigu/Gambaga. Her bid faced massive objections as perceptions were high that she had perhaps not garnered enough experience for the high office, defying the flag-bearers quest for a woman vice. Nana Addo is on record to have said on a TV3 programme Kwaku One-on-One, he would have loved to have a female vice presidential nominee but his party resisted. Also up for the position were the Chief Director of the Health Ministry, Alhaji M.N.D Jawula and the Northern Regional Minister Alhaji Mustapha Idris. Their candidacy however hit the rock after Dr Bawumia, although not a staunch member of the party, was picked to run with Nana Addo. Although Dr Bawumia’s selection was met with enormous animosity and ill feeling, members of the party were soon to accept him as a formidable match for John Dramani Mahama, National Democratic Congress (NDC) vice presidential candidate, now vice president-elect. As his term ends in a year’s time, it is not clear if the deputy governor is likely to have a renewed mandate, especially under a new government. Story by Fiifi Koomson