Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has sought the counsel of President Akufo-Addo regarding his selection of a running mate for the upcoming presidential election on December 7.
A meeting between the two took place at the Jubilee House last night, as reported by JoyNews’ Presidential Affairs correspondent Elton Brobbey. During the meeting, Vice President Dr Bawumia presented his chosen candidate to the President.
Elton Brobbey further clarified that President Akufo-Addo provided guidance and shared his thoughts, ultimately accepting Dr Bawumia’s decision. The selected 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.
The JoyNews Presidential correspondent mentioned that it remains uncertain whether the Vice President’s decision to select Dr Opoku Prempeh as his running mate was influenced by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) survey.
Nevertheless, he highlighted that the Energy Minister seems to be the favored choice among the party’s grassroots. He further stated that even after Dr Bawumia emerged victorious in the NPP flagbearership contest, he had already indicated his preference for a running mate, emphasizing that the announcement of Dr. Opoku Prempeh did not come as a surprise.
In the meantime, the NPP flagbearer is scheduled to convene with the party’s council to formally introduce his selection. If approved, an official declaration will ensue.
On June 15, 2024, a survey conducted by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) revealed that the Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, was widely favored by party members to be the running mate to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
