Nana Approves Bawumia, Napo Ticket
President Nana Akufo-Addo has reportedly accepted the flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s choice of a running mate for the December 7 general elections following a consultation by the Vice President.
Dr. Bawumia, reports indicate had settled on Energy Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South in the Ashanti Region, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh as his preferred choice pending approval by the party’s National Council of Elders.
According to JoyNews report, the NPP flagbearer presented Dr Opoku Prempeh popularly known as ‘NAPO’ as his running mate during a meeting with President Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
The station’s Presidential Affairs correspondent, Elton John Brobbey, who confirmed the purported meeting, narrated that after the NPP flagbearer presented his choice to President Akufo-Addo, the president offered advice and shared his thoughts but eventually accepted Dr Bawumia’s choice.
Elton Brobbey, who broke the news during the station’s mid-day news yesterday said the chosen candidate is a 56-year-old medical doctor who graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
“…He was first elected to Parliament in 2008 and won re-election in 2012, 2016 and 2020. He served on the Health Appointment and Defence and Interior Committees of Parliament.
“In 2017, President Akufo-Addo appointed him Education Minister and he now serves as the Energy Minister. The name is Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh also known as NAPO,” he said.
The reporter noted that it is unclear whether the Vice President’s choice of Dr. Opoku Prempeh as his running mate was influenced by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) survey.
However, he noted that the Energy Minister appears to be the preferred choice of the party’s grassroots.
He added that even after Dr. Bawumia won the NPP flagbearership race, he had already made it clear the choice of his running mate, noting that his announcement of Dr Opoku Prempeh was not surprising.
Meanwhile, the NPP flagbearer is expected to meet with the party’s council to formally present his choice. If accepted, a formal announcement will follow.
It would be recalled, a comprehensive survey conducted by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) formerly called Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) said Dr Opoku Prempeh was preferred choice among other party stalwarts jostling to be selected.
The survey, which sampled views of NPP members across the country gave ‘NAPO’ 76.2% margin over other contenders, including Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, former Chairman of Pentecost Church, Apostle Opoku Onyinah, the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, among others.
The confidential NIB report, also indicated that, a significant number of the respondents, nearly 84percent see Dr Opoku Prempeh, as the perfect choice, as a result of his charisma and popularity among party members.
The survey engaged 5,116 NPP delegates nationwide, including national, regional, constituency, and polling station executives, using the party’s delegates album to ensure a representatives sample.
Excerpts of the Executive Summary of the report, sighted by The Anchor reads: “Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, commonly known as NAPO, who currently serves as the Minister of Energy and Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South, secured 76.2% of the responses from executives polled, making him the leading candidate for the position of running mate to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP’s presidential candidate for the 2024 general elections (refer to Figure 1)”.
Aside the NIB report, a recent one by Research Trust Ltd, led by Professor Smart Sarpong, an Associate Professor of Statistics at the Kumasi Technical University also confirmed Dr Opoku Prempeh as most suitable and resourceful choice.
The survey said more than two-thirds out of 2, 240 respondents, representing 70per cent preferred Dr Opoku Prempeh.
Source: Anchorghana.com
