A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has said the call for a Ga-Dangme running mate for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo is a laudable idea whose time has not yet come and must only be interpreted within the framework of the political calculus for the NPP leadership and the rank and file of the party. He said despite his strong commitment to Ga-Dangme constituencies, he still preferred a North-South /South-North ticket for now and for the 2012 election. “I have always championed a North-South /South-North configuration for the presidential slate on the basis of Danquah Dombo-Busia tradition’s historical commitment to regional balance, as best as this is possible and viable,” he told the Daily Graphic on Monday when he shared his perspective on the subject matter of who partners Nana Akufo Addo for the 2012 polls. The issue of who will partner the flag bearer of the NPP for the 2012 presidential election has generated a lot of anxiety among NPP members, sympathisers and supporters, with all craving to know who gets the nod to become the running mate of Nana Akufo-Addo. Some supporters of the party have lauded the idea for the NPP to break away from the old tradition of North-South Partnership and to opt for a Ga-Dangme running mate. Since the debate began publicly, there has been an unprecedented hope among many well-meaning Ghanaians, especially those in the Ga-Dangme community. It will be recalled that some members within the NPP fraternity have called for a Ga-Dangme to partner Nana Akufo Addo and mentioned names such as Professor Felix Nii Lantei Odartey Wellington, Professor Ernest Aryeetey and Dr Nii Okai Hammond as possible candidates. Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said because regional balance might mean different things to different people, however, the North/South-South/ North partnership had been thus far dominant in the party’s tradition and the preferred for now. He said in the last election “we saw an excellent combination in Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamadu Bawumia and I can tell you on authority that some of the non-Northern persons whose names are making the rounds supported a similar ticket.” He noted that at the same time there were some who must view the choice of a running mate purely through the prism of political logic, in terms of the votes that a running mate is able to bring to the extent that a certain national or regional constituency regards him or her as representing their interest. This, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said, might account for the various names that have been floated thus far, including others that have not been reported by the media. “Going forward, it is doubtful if Nana Akufo-Addo and the party’s leadership will be pressured into making a choice. The decision will be carefully and thoughtfully made, weighing various pros and cons, as well as issues of availability as not all potential candidates might be willing to be considered,” he told the Daily Graphic.