Member of Parliament for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak, says he will refuse to be the running mate of John Mahama if he is ever offered the position.

According to him, he is not the right fit for the position considering the fact that he also has northern heritage.

The NDC stalwart in an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express, said while he was born and raised in the Ashanti region, his family originally comes from the north and that might prove difficult for two northerners to be paired together.

“Yes I’m from Asante Region  but nobody can discount the fact that I’m also associated with the north. My grandfather settled in the south, I’m more Kumasi person than any other place. I mean, it’s the place that I’ve lived, my father was buried there, my grandfather was buried there, I schooled there, virtually everything.

“Even the people from the north think that I don’t behave like a northerner but you can’t discount that. And I can’t imagine a typical northerner with a second or third generation northerner in the south that will be too difficult,” he said.

While some have suggested that their pairing may be the key for the NDC to win the Ashanti region in the upcoming Presidential elections, Muntaka Mubarak is convinced that for the avoidance of any controversy, he would rather advise John Mahama to pick a pure Akan over him.

“Even if he was to do that gesture I would advise rather advise that, if it is truly Ashanti that he wants, he picks a purely Akan person,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Asawase MP says he is also nursing his own presidential ambitions and intends on pursuing it forcefully when the time is right.

“I’ve been a politician, I believe that I’ve served very well, I have all the credentials that it takes, I have distinguished myself the best that I can, and I want to believe that if the opportunity avails itself why not? I will be a contender and I will do that forcefully.”