Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development, has suggested that the NPP consider selecting Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as the running mate for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to increase its chances of winning the election and breaking the eight.
According to Assafuah, the inclusion of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh on the ticket alongside Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia would significantly boost the NPP’s chances, potentially leading to a landslide victory with an estimated 80% of the total votes in the upcoming December elections.
Assafuah highlighted Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s impressive track record and his robust connections in the Ashanti Region, notably his strong ties with the Otumfuo’s palace, as significant assets that will substantially enhance the party’s electoral prospects and strengthen its position in the region.
“With the kind of things that he has to his credit, there is no doubt that he would add a lot to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. People believe that he’s a royal, he comes from Otumfuo’s palace and because of his relationship with the giants in the Ashanti Region, how he carried himself, and how he’s been a helper to most people in the Ashanti region, clearly he brings a lot to the ticket.”
Vincent Ekow Assafuah
Assafuah downplayed criticisms of Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s tenure in the energy sector, asserting that he has sufficiently proven his worth to the party and his contributions should not be overshadowed by minor criticisms.
“I think Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia did his own research, he has done a lot of engagements with party stalwarts and I do not think that it would be a mistake for him to add him to his ticket”.
Vincent Ekow Assafuah
Accordingly, Vincent Assafuah reaffirmed that Dr. Opoku Prempeh is destined to play a vital and pivotal role in securing a decisive victory for the NPP, leveraging his influence to mobilize a significant portion of the votes.
NPP Rift: Bawumia’s Choice Of Running Mate Questioned
Meanwhile, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a senior figure within the NPP, alleged that the party’s presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was not granted the autonomy to select his preferred running mate for the forthcoming December elections, suggesting that the decision was influenced by internal forces.
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe made a startling claim that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was coerced into selecting Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Energy Minister, as his vice presidential candidate, despite reservations about Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s allegedly arrogant behavior.
He reaffirmed his earlier prediction, made several months prior, that Dr. Bawumia would not be given the autonomy to make his own decision regarding his running mate, suggesting that internal party influences would prevail.
“With Bawumia’s position, he will find it difficult to pick his own running mate. Rawlings picked his own running mate, nobody would dare bring anyone to him and say ‘This one should go with you’. He fielded Ackaah and he failed, he changed him to another person. Kufuor picked his own running mate.”
“First round, second round, I was present. Not that someone was telling me. Atta Mills picked his own running mate, and Mahama picked his own running mate. Akufo-Addo, in scene one, picked his own running mate, in scene two, picked his own running mate”.
Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe raised concerns about the deviation from the party’s traditional approach, wondering why Dr. Bawumia was not afforded the same privilege as past NPP leaders, such as former President Akufo-Addo, who were allowed to exercise their discretion in selecting their own running mates.
Meanwhile, a chorus of dissent has emerged within the NPP, as prominent figures like Andy Appiah-Kubi, the Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, have publicly expressed their discontent and disapproval of the decision to choose Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as the running mate, joining a growing list of party stalwarts who are voicing their opposition to the selection.
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