Even though some leading members of the New Patriotic Party have expressed dissent at the selection of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the party’s running mate, some hopefuls of the slot have lauded the choice. A cross section of vice presidential candidates whose bid failed to sail through, told Joy News they would go all out to ensure victory for the party. Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Ghana’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said for the sake of his loyalty to the party, the choice of Nana Addo would not deter him on his quest to fight for the victory of the party come December. He rather hailed the partnership and said “It is a decision which I think it is in the right direction. "We are all going to work around the clock to ensure that the NPP is returning into power come December 2008.” He promised to put “110 per cent” support behind the ticket of Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia to ensure that the two are well marketed across the length and breadth of the country. According Alhaji Mohammed Nuru Deen Jawula, the former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health who resigned from his post ostensibly to partner Nana Addo, he was taken aback by Nana Addo’s final decision. All the same, he said the latest development would not stop him from assisting the presidential candidate and his running mate to ensure that the NPP wins the 2008 elections. “Bawumia is totally acceptable to me. One would want to be the first choice, but once it is Bawumia, I think I am quiet comfortable and I will do whatever I can in my own area of influence to talk for him, talk for the party, to talk for Nana and to work very hard to ensure victory for the New Patriotic Party,” he said. Dr. Mohamudu Bawumia, the Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana, was unanimously chosen by the party’s National Executive Council after a crunch meeting on Thursday night. Story by Isaac Essel