Vice President of Ghana and flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has presented his choice of running mate to President Akufo-Addo in the run up to the December 7 presidential election.
According to JoyNews’ Presidential Affairs correspondent Elton Brobbey, a meeting which took place on June 25, 2024 at the Jubilee House saw Vice President Dr Bawumia present his choice to the President for the president’s advice.
Elton Brobbey confirmed that President Akufo-Addo shared his thoughts but eventually accepted Dr Bawumia’s choice.
He 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 JoyNews Presidential correspondent said 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.
On June 15, 2024, a survey conducted by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) indicated that the Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh was widely preferred among party members to be the running mate to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia.