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Even as he awaits the nod from delegates of the National Democratic Congress to renew his mandate in the November 7 presidential primaries to lead the party into the 2016 elections, pressure is mounting on President John Dramani Mahama to retain his vice President, Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah as running mate for next year’s election.

Leading the crusade to get the president to renew his “marriage” with his media-shy vice-president are persons well-known to be allies of the Cape Coast born astute banker-turned-vice president.

Ever since president Mahama instructed Amissah Arthur to pick nomination forms on his behalf to contest the NDC presidential primaries, the vice president’s “cheer leaders” have been busy trumpeting how that singular act by the president gives indications of him retaining his political partner.

Not a week passes by without aficionados of the former governor of the Bank of Ghana posting articles in the media about how President Mahama has virtually endorsed the vice president, or how he has signaled a possible Mahama/Amissah Arthur ticket for the 2016 elections.

This obsession and hasty attempts to stampede the president, whose fate is yet to be decided by NDC delegates in next month’s primaries, was started by a well-known devotee of the Veep, Maxwell Okamafo Addo and endorsed by the Central regional chairman of the ruling party, Bernard Allotey Jacobs.

In an article titled “Why Mahama will retain Amissah-Arthur as running mate” Maxwell Okamafo Addo wrote “When it comes to choosing a great mate, whether in politics or business, the essentials extend well beyond charisma, connections and political leverage. The fundamental elements are trust, loyalty and complementary skills and qualities.”

“Vice Presidential picks should always share the substantive President’s values and vision. Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has proven himself a humble leader who has exhibited that his humility is knows no bounds.”

“What the people of Ghana are looking for is a humble selfless, truly confident intelligent, non-corrupt God-fearing Vice President who is working and focused. His strong record on ethics and government integrity cannot be questioned in Ghana. President John Mahama and his current vice won the 2012 presidential elections and have so far enjoyed a robust relationship.”

Earlier before this article hit the media landscape, the Central regional chairman of the NDC also came out openly and forcefully to endorse a Mahama/Amissah Arthur ticket for the 2016 elections.

Speaking on Peace Fm last week, Allotey Jacobs said "He (Amissah Arthur) is a man who can say a thing and stand by it. Ghana needs a man who will be accountable to you and all of us. We have found in him, these uncommon qualities and we believe that he has the modern world view that will see us do things differently and confront our problems with new approaches.

He said:” Considering the good working relationship between the duo of President Mahama and Vice President Kwesi Amissah Arthur, the wise thing is to allow the same team flies the party flag.

“He is an excellent professional, a man of faith, a devoted family man and a role model to our fellow countrymen and women. The vice-presidential candidate is a friend of the less-privileged, compassionate and zealous in service, a man of uncommon humility, a loyal, dependable and selfless patriot,” Allotey Jacobs stated.

As it appeared their pressure on the President to openly give assurance that he would retain their “boss” as running mate for the 2016 elections was not forthcoming, Maxwell Okamafo Addo, desperate to prove that Amissah Arthur will definitely be retained, wrote another enticing article based on an interview the president had with Africawatch magazine to suggest that the vice president is the automatic candidate for the 2016 running mate post.

Bits of his article read “President John Dramani Mahama has once again extolled the virtues of his Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amisssah-Arthur, describing him as someone who does his work with a lot of dignity.
With this exhortation, the President has given the strongest indication yet that he will keep Mr Amissah-Arthur as running mate in the next general election.

In an interview with Africa Watch magazine at the Flagstaff house on September 6, 2015, President Mahama reacted to allegations in a section of the media that his Vice is not visible.
“A lot of people are used to flamboyant type of politicians; he’s the reserved type and does his work with dignity. I appreciate the rapport we have and I have a lot of respect for him,” Mahama said.

He said his Vice President is a finance person and his professional competence is in finance and economic management.
“He’s is my chief adviser and provides me with a lot of technical support on economic issues,” the President said.

He adds: “In other jurisdictions people are used to flamboyant type of politicians, he’s more of a technocrat and concentrates on getting the job done…I appreciate the rapport we have and I have a lot of respect for him”.

Despite the intense lobbying by loyalists of the Amissah Arthur, president John Mahama has so far remained noncommittal and, as sources close to him has told The aL-hAJJ, it is too early for the president to speak on the issue as 2016 election is some 14 months away.

An NDC capo who spoke this paper on the issue said, conventionally, sitting president's after broader consultations announce their running mates few months into an election, normally; not earlier than six months.

Meanwhile, The aL-hAJJ has gathered that Amissah Arthur, in spite of his loyalty and commitment to the president’s vision to transform Ghana, is not the automatic candidate for 2016 running mate, as deep throat source close to the presidency say Ghanaians should not be surprised if the president names a female of high academic credentials and social repute from the south as 2016 running mate.

This paper has picked intelligence within the corridors of power that the shrewd but humble President was most likely to settle on a female to partner him in the presidential election slated for later part of next year.