Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of NDC, broke the news to GNA in Accra immediately after President Mills had consulted the National Executive Committee (NEC) and it was agreed that Vice President Mahama be retained as the running mate.
Mr Nketia said the procedure, according to the party’s Constitution, gave President Mills the prerogative to choose his running mate in consultation with NEC.
He said NEC had also decided to open nominations for the Parliamentary seats on Tuesday, August 16, for NDC orphan constituencies to ensure adequate preparations to win those seats in Election 2012
Vice President Mahama, who was retained by the NDC for Election 2012, was born on 29 November 1958 at Damongo, was formerly the Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi and member of the Pan-African Parliament from Ghana.
He previously served as Minister of Communications during NDC (1) under President Jerry John Rawlings and on April 9, 2008, was unanimously endorsed by the party’s National Executive Committee as the NDC Vice-Presidential candidate.
Vice President Mahama attended Achimota Primary School, before enrolling at Ghana Secondary School, Tamale, for his G.C.E. O and A level education.
In 1981, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Ghana, and further obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies, from the University of Ghana, Legon in 1986 and the Institute of Social Sciences, Moscow (Postgraduate Studies in Social Psychology) in 1988.
He worked as an Information officer, Japan Embassy in Ghana from 1991-95, Sponsorship and Grants Manager, Plan International, Ghana Country Office 1995-96.He choose a career in Politics on his election to serve the people of Bole/Bamboi Constituency in Parliment – Dec 1996.
Deputy Minister of Communications April 1997- Nov 98
Minister of Communications Nov.1998-Jan 2001
Acted as Chairman of the National Communications Authority, Regulatory Agency for Telecommunications and ICT sector Nov 1998 – Jan 2001
Elected, second term Member of Parliament for Bole/Bamboi Constituency – Dec 2000
Elected, third term Member of Parliament for Bole/Bamboi Constituency – Dec 2004
Minority Spokesman for Communications 2001 – 2004
Minority Spokesman for Foreign Affairs 2005 to 2008
Member, Appointments Committee of Parliament 1997 to 2008
Member, Communications Committee of Parliament 1997 to 2008
Member, Standing Orders Committee of Parliament 1997 to 2008
Director of Communications NDC 2002 to 2008
Member, Election observer and monitoring team, Zimbabwe Presidential elections 2002
Member of the Pan African Parliament 2004 – to 2008
Chairman of West African Caucus, Pan African Parliament Continued…