Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia, flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2024 elections, has officially informed leadership of the Majority Caucus in Parliament of his nomination of 56-year-old Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh alias Napo, the Minister for Energy, as his running mate.
The announcement, following months of speculation and closed-door consultations, took place during a meeting between Vice President Bawumia and leadership of the Majority Caucus at his official residence on Friday, June 28th, 2024.
“Our party leader, H.E. Dr. Bawumia, met with the leadership of the majority caucus of Parliament and conveyed that Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh is his choice for running mate.
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“I have engaged the Caucus, and the feedback has been positive. The generality of the Caucus is in support of his choice. For it to be official, there has to be a National Council meeting for the final decision to be taken”, Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin told Citi Eye Witness News Friday evening.
Afenyo-Markin said the reception from Caucus members was positive an indication of a widespread endorsement pending formal approval at the upcoming National Council meeting as per the NPP’s constitutional requirements.
Looking ahead, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) anticipates convening a crucial National Council session next Tuesday, to formally present Vice President Bawumia’s nomination of NAPO to the party hierarchy for deliberation and endorsement. This procedural step aligns with the party’s commitment to transparency and internal governance processes.
NAPO, a former medical doctor turned politician, is celebrated for his pivotal role in implementing significant educational reforms in Ghana, notably the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, which has notably expanded access to secondary education nationwide.
His selection as Bawumia’s running mate strategically aims to resonate with diverse voter demographics.
As election preparations intensify, Vice President Bawumia and Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh are poised to embark on a nationwide campaign tour to engage voters and articulate their vision for Ghana’s future.
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Leveraging their extensive experience and commitment to public service, they seek to secure a third term for the ruling NPP.
Prior to the nomination of Dr. Opoku Prempeh, almost all surveys conducted pointed to the fact that he was the most preferred person to partner Dr. Bawumia
Recently, 70 percent of NPP constituency and polling station executives who took part in a national survey say they want Napo as running mate to partner Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia, the Party’s presidential candidate for the December elections.
The closest contender is the 77-year-old Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei Opare who polled just some 10 percent of respondents wanting her to be the NPP running mate.
The survey was conducted by Research Trust Limited (RTL), a private research company in the month of May. It targeted respondents in 60 constituencies across all 16 regions of the country.
The survey asked the respondents who they feel would be the best person to partner Dr. Bawumia based on factors such as regional preference, the popularity and marketability of the candidate, the ability of the candidate to face the National Democratic Congress (NDC) boot for boot, the candidates’ understanding of grassroot politics and the candidate being known party faithful.
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RESULTS
One of the key results from the survey showed that, 92 percent of the sampled constituency executives preferred the running mate to come from the Ashanti region.
On the question of who the constituency executives want as running mate for the 2024 presidential elections, more than two-thirds of the respondents preferred Energy Minister Mathew Opoku Prempeh (70%).
This was followed by the 77-year-old Chief of Staff Frema Osei Opare (10%). Education Minister Yaw Osei Adutwum (9%), and former Chief Executive of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Henry Kwabena Kokofu (7%).
