Dr. Bawumia picks Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as running mate for 2024 elections
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of Ghana’s ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has announced his selection of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, as his running mate for the upcoming 2024 general elections.
Sources close to the presidency revealed that Dr. Bawumia sought advice from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a meeting held on Tuesday night, where the decision was discussed and eventually endorsed by the President.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh, a 56-year-old medical doctor who graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has a distinguished political career. He first entered Parliament in 2008 and has been re-elected in subsequent elections in 2012, 2016, and 2020.
During his tenure in Parliament, he served on significant committees such as Health Appointment and Defence and Interior, before assuming the role of Education Minister in 2017.
Dr. Bawumia highlighted Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s qualifications and experience in presenting him to President Akufo-Addo as the ideal candidate for the vice-presidential role.
There has been growing support within the NPP for Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s candidacy, as indicated by several party polls reflecting his popularity among party executives leading up to the crucial 2024 elections.
According some analysts, the selection of Dr. Opoku Prempeh underscores Dr. Bawumia’s strategic move to bolster the NPP’s electoral prospects, leveraging the experience and popularity of his chosen running mate to rally support ahead of the December elections.
