Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh popularly known as NAPO
Former Member of Parliament for Suame constituency in the Ashanti Region, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has outlined several qualities that made Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh popularly known as NAPO, the ideal running mate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general elections.
According to Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, he played a key role in the selection of NAPO as the party’s running mate, asserting that he possessed the qualities needed to secure victory for the NPP in the elections.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM on February 26, 2025, he revealed that after ruling himself out of consideration for the running mate position, NAPO became his preferred choice.
“We took a lot of things into consideration before selecting the running mate, especially when we assessed the situation in the Ashanti Region.
“ As I mentioned earlier, I ruled myself out of the race. One of the reasons I proposed NAPO was that Bawumia, as Vice President, already had significant executive experience. We, therefore, needed someone with strong parliamentary experience, as governance requires a deep understanding of parliamentary affairs,” he explained.
He continued, “Secondly, apart from me, he was the longest-serving MP in the Ashanti Region, aside from KT Hammond and Anyimadu.
“Thirdly, in the Ashanti Region, aside from me, the person who was most dedicated to his parliamentary duties was NAPO.
“Additionally, I felt that if we wanted someone to partner with Bawumia, we should consider a candidate who, after Bawumia’s tenure, could potentially take over. In terms of age, NAPO was the best candidate for succession planning.”
“In terms of his parliamentary activities, he also stood out as the best choice,” he added.
Despite the NPP’s selection of NAPO as running mate, the party ultimately lost the 2024 general elections to the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensa, on Monday, December 9, 2024, declared John Dramani Mahama the winner of the election.
Mahama’s party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), achieved historic success by securing a significant majority in Parliament.
AM/KA
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