NPP Flagbearer Race Heats Up: Matthew Opoku-Prempeh Reaffirms Support for Dr Bawumia
- Dr Opoku-Prempeh, the 2024 running mate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has reaffirmed his unwavering support for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
- This comes after a social media post by Dr. Opoku-Prempeh, featuring Kennedy Agyapong, sparked speculation about a shift in allegiance
- However, Dr. Opoku-Prempeh clarified that his intention was to promote unity within the party and he remains committed to Dr Bawumia's bid
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The 2024 running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, also known as Napo, has declared his unflinching support for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
This endorsement comes ahead of the January 31, 2026, flagbearership election of the opposition NPP.
Source: UGC
Shortly after the NPP National Delegates Conference held in Accra on Saturday, July 19, 2025, Dr Opoku-Prempeh posted a picture of Kennedy Agyapong, one of the leading contenders in the flagbearer race, on his Facebook page.
This post, which came without a caption, sparked wild reactions, with many speculating that Dr Opoku-Prempeh has ditched Dr Bawumia for Kennedy Agyapong.
However, responding to this in an interview with 1957news, he dismissed those claims, saying he remains committed to Dr Bawumia's bid to become the president of Ghana.
Dr Opoku-Prempeh, who is the former Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, said he can never be ungrateful to Dr Bawumia after choosing him as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election.
"It's not true. I have not moved from any camp to any camp. I remain where I am. Can I be ungrateful to Dr Bawumia after making me the running mate? What kind of human being will be so ungrateful? I have not moved any camp," he said.
He explained that he only posted Kennedy Agyapong's picture on his Facebook page to preach unity in the party.
"What I have done is to try and unite the party against whoever emerges as the flagbearer of NPP. This is one person who will emerge as the flagbearer. My experience of the last election wasn't that good. There was so much infighting, and some people who now claim to be flagbearers may have said things that did not go well for the party, and I hope it doesn't happen again," he further stated.
"That is why the party has learnt its lessons and has decided to choose its flagbearer very early so that we can heal our wounds and forge on to make the 2028 elections better," he added.
Watch the video below:
Dr Opoku-Prempeh's political portfolio
Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh is a medical doctor by training but has served as the Minister of Education and Minister for Energy between 2017 and 2024 before he was nominated as the running mate for Dr Bawumia in 2024.
Source: UGC
Dr Opoku-Prempeh's support for Bawumia's presidential bid has sparked mixed reactions on social media.
YEN.com.gh compiled a few of the reactions below:
@Abdul-Rasheed Awinpang said:
"We don’t need this version of NaPo, too gentle. We need the NaPo on the campaign trail."
@Mark OO also said:
"Bawumia regretted selecting you as his running mate the very day you were selected."
@Frank Kwame Gyamfi commented:
"If not the running mate choice, he would have defected from that camp."
Minority MPs declare support for Bawumia
In a related story, YEN.com.gh reported that a group of NPP MPs endorsed Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as the party's flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.
The MPs expressed their support after a courtesy call on the former Vice-President at his home on June 19, 2025.
This endorsement came as the NPP's flagbearer race heated up, with Dr Bawumia leading in the recent polls.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
