The 2024 Running Mate to the flagbearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has provided insight into the party’s origins and evolution.
He claims that during Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s regime, several Ghanaian chiefs were allegedly hunted and expelled from the country, with some even being arrested.
These events, according to Dr. Prempeh, led to the formation of various political groups, which eventually merged to establish the NPP.
Currently on a campaign tour in the Ashanti Region, NAPO shared these details in a radio interview on August 16, 2024.
The interview was initially shared by Edhub on X.
“All the people who couldn’t attend school due to financial constraints would have benefitted, developed and far advanced Ghana.
“We are here today to meet and greet the chiefs because they are the founders and originators of our party [NPP]. Let me say this, the United Party which brought forth the Progress Party, and others and later united to become the NPP were founded by our chiefs. All the people who came from the northern part, the likes of the Northern People’s Party were all chiefs.
“… Kwame Nkrumah went and arrested all the chiefs of Annor and sent them to prison and he changed the Volta regional capital from Hohoe to Ho. He then arrested all the chiefs from Hohoe and imprisoned them. Chiefs from Accra all came and formed their party and even Muslims from the Zongo communities also formed their party to unite with the United party.
“So, the party belonged to all Ghanaians before the formation of the Ashanti party. The leader of the Ashanti party was a chief and he elected his linguist, the Gas and Ewes were chiefs as well. I have visited Togbe Sri and the things the man said prove this is his party [NPP]. I have gone to Kete Krachi, Akwamufie, Kwahu, Akuapem, New Juabeng, Ga Mantse, Wassa Amenfi, Ahanta, Nzema, Essikado, Sekondi, Kumasi, Yendi, Denkyira and the party belongs to every Ghanaian because all the chiefs are singing the same tune.
“That’s why I’m saying our leader, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, is also from a royal family. Because Kwame Nkrumah wanted to arrest the Mamprusi chief, Dr. Bawumia’s father left the Northern People’s Party to join the CPP to prevent the arrest of the Mamprusi chief and his transfer to Accra. Several chiefs had to run from the country because he threatened them,” NAPO posited.
Running mate of the NPP, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, discussed how Kwame Nkrumah hunted, arrested, and chased Ghanaian chiefs out of the country, which led to the formation of various parties that eventually united to form the NPP.
— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) August 16, 2024
He also asserted that Kwame Nkrumah changed the… pic.twitter.com/X2964fPSgO