The 2024 Running Mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, has shared details of how some top party leaders attempted to block former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia from selecting him as his running mate ahead of the 2024 polls.
According to Dr Opoku Prempeh, several influential figures within the NPP tried all possible means to prevent Dr Bawumia from naming him as running mate but the former vice president stood his ground and went ahead with the decision.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM on August 26, 2025, he said; “I am not ungrateful. Look at this big party and upon all the people who were praying for the running mate slot, he ignored all of them and made me his running mate.
“I know it was a difficult situation, but a lot of people don’t know. Some bigwigs in the party went to Dr Bawumia to tell him not to make me the running mate but he ignored them. There are some names that if I mentioned, you would be shocked. Some even took him to offices to advise him against me but still he chose me.”
He further added; “So, I cannot be ungrateful to him… For those who stood in the flagbearership contest, everyone knows Kennedy Agyapong is my friend, but I am still for Bawumia.”
Dr Opoku Prempeh partnered Dr Bawumia in the 2024 Election; however, the NPP lost to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which also secured a majority in Parliament.
Despite the defeat, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has hinted at plans to contest again on the NPP ticket and NAPO has openly declared his support for him.
