The NPP Member of Parliament for the Asikuma Odoben-Brakwa constituency, Hon. Paul Collins Appiah-Ofori says he may not have much difficulty if NPP Flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo picks Bawumia as his running mate for the 2012 elections. According to Mr. Appiah-Ofori, he has advised Nana Addo to pick a marketable running mate but if he defies his advice and picks Bawumia, he will not have much to complain about. The Asikuma Odoben Brakwa MP has always objected to the choice of Bawumia as running mate to the NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo, and opted for Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula. According to him, Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula will draw more votes for the party as a running mate than Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who he said performed abysmally in 2008. He said a running mate is someone who complements the effort of the presidential candidate, stressing that as far as he is concerned, Dr. Bawumia failed to add anything to the votes of the NPP in the three northern regions. But reports in the media indicate that the opposition NPP will give Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia a second chance to partner flag-bearer Nana Akufo-Addo for the 2012 elections. Speaking on Asempa Fm’s Ekosii-Sen on Monday about the report, P.C. Appiah-Ofori noted that his wish is to see NPP back in power, so if Nana Addo believes Bawumia can help him do that, he (P.C.) will accept it. “If Bawumia is picked, I have no case because I am not the presidential candidate. My candid opinion is that Bawumia cannot give us the needed votes from up north to win 2012 but if he is good for Nana, fair enough,” he said. Hon. Appiah Ofori asserted that his recent rejection of Bawumia as a potential running mate for the party did not mean he hates him but was expressing views on who can best get the numbers for NPP in the north. “If I said I prefer Jawula to Bawumia [it] didn’t mean I hated him, so if he is chosen as speculated, I will work with him”. He called for unity in the party ahead of Nana Addo's announcement of a running mate “because we [NPP] have to win the 2012 election”.