NDC party loyalists lobby Mahama to choose Zanetor Rawlings as running mate

Dyed-in-the-wool loyalists of the founder of National Democratic Congress (NDC), the late Jerry John Rawlings, have intensified their calls for the flagbearer of the NDC for the 2024 general elections, John Dramani Mahama to select the first child (1st Daughter) of the party’s founder, Dr Zanetor Rawlings as his running mate.

Dr Zanetor Agyeman Rawlings (45), a medical doctor by profession, is currently a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) for the Korle Klottey constituency in the Greater Accra Region. She was first elected MP on 7 December 2016 and won a 2nd term on 7 December 2020.

During the recent NDC presidential and parliamentary primaries held on Saturday 13 May 2023, she secured the mandate of constituency executives to contest the Korle Klottey seat for a third time.

Contention of her supporter

The long-established NDC members who are lobbying for Miss Rawlings according to sources familiar with their activities, claim that the selection of Zanetor will electrify the NDC base and bring back the supposed love the Ghanaian people had for his father and the party he founded to the NDC 2024 ticket.

The incorrigible NDC party faithful also argue that Ms Zanetor Rawlings if selected to partner John Mahama, will be a perfect fit as the next face for the political party his father founded and led until 7 January 2001 when he left office as President. He died on 12 November, 2020.

However, her nomination would be fiercely resisted by many Mahama loyalist who do not see the younger Rawlings as “one of us.” Indeed, the Mahama camp was accused of supporting one of Ms Rawlings’ challengers in the May primaries.

Making her running mate for 2024 would place Ms Rawlings in pole position to lead the NDC after John Mahama for the 2028 race, whether as an opposition or ruling party.

Other potential running mates

Thus far, Names like Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Mr John Mahama’s running mate for the 2020 general elections, Mr Sam Jonah, business mogul and current Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast in the Central Region have popped up as possible choices for the running mate slot of the NDC. Miss Zanetor Rawlings adds up to the number of possible running mates for the NDC leader, John Dramani Mahama.

Profile of Zanetor

Being a member of the family of the first President of the 4th Republic, and Ghana’s longest serving head of state, Jerry John Rawlings, Miss Zanetor has a rich, and arguably, controversial, political pedigree. Her mother, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, is a founding member of the NDC and also of the National Democratic Party (NDP).

Zanetor Rawlings was born in Ghana and had her basic education in North Ridge Lyceum and Achimota School. She later proceeded to Wesley Girls High School in Cape Coast in 1995. She had a tertiary education at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland where she graduated as a medical doctor.

Aside from working in General Practice as a Doctor, in 2016, she picked up a career in politics as she contested in the primaries of the party founded by her father, NDC, in a bid to become a legislator for the Korle Klottey constituency. Zanetor has three children.

Reporting and analysis by Wilberforce Asare in Accra

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