A group affiliated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), known as the Concerned NPP Grassroot and Executives Group, has petitioned the party’s National Executive Council to reject Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh aka Napo, as the potential running mate for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the governing party’s 2024 presidential candidate.
They argued that attempts to force the Energy Minister on their flagbearer will not serve the party’s interests as it seeks to ‘break the 8.’
Holding placards with several inscriptions the group on Monday July 1, marched to Dr Bawumia’s campaign office, at Asokwa in Kumasi to drum home their demands.
“We all know that when it comes to the humility and respect aspects, his (Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s) is questionable. Even as the Minister of Energy, when we were experiencing power instability and we called for a timetable, look at his response to Ghanaians.
We don’t think such a running mate can promote the image of our party. That is why we are appealing to get a running mate who is humble and approachable like our flagbearer to present him to the good people of Ghana. We think that he (Matthew Opoku Prempeh) does not possess the qualities we are seeking,” the convener for the group, Ebenezer Nyamekye, indicated.
The development comes as the National Executive Council (NEC) holds an emergency meeting to decide on the flagbearer’s choice.
“They know that we are the people who go to the streets to campaign for us to break the 8. That’s the reason why we are pleading with them to give us someone we can serve. We believe the National Executive Council will listen to us,” Ebenezer stated.
Receiving the petition on behalf of the party, the Ashanti Regional Communications Officer of the NPP, Paul Yandoh, said the petition would be forwarded to the appropriate quarters for further action.
