A Member of Parliament (MP) from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi of Asante Akim North, has voiced his concerns about the selection of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, known as NAPO, as the running mate for the party’s flagbearer, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
In an interview on JoyNews on Thursday, June 27, 2024, Appiah-Kubi expressed his belief that NAPO, the MP for Manhyia South, is not the right choice to secure the necessary votes for the 2024 general elections.
“Well, I wouldn’t speak for the majority because we have not been consulted as a caucus for us to state our position. But me, Appiah-Kubi, you can solicit my view on that. If it were up to me to choose, I wouldn’t choose him,” he said.
Appiah-Kubi emphasized that his preference would be someone who could effectively campaign alongside Dr. Bawumia and the MPs, suggesting that NAPO does not fit this role.
“It’s not my preference. Appiah-Kubi is saying that he is not my preference. But that doesn’t mean that he is not qualified. If there was an opportunity like that, I would express a candidate, however acceptable otherwise, to our presidential candidate. I would want someone who will be open with the people on the ground, who will be able to deliver the votes, and who would also submit to the presidency, and who will also be important in bringing parliament closer to the executive.”
Appiah-Kubi further stated, “I would probably select someone who is more acceptable to the generals going to war, the parliamentarians. We should find someone who, if the presidential candidate is not there, will hold the hand of a member of parliament and go and conduct a campaign in that member of parliament’s constituency. I don’t see that happening in this equation. He cannot hold my hand. So why would I say that I prefer him? He cannot hold my hand.”
About NAPO’s Nomination
According to myjoyonline.com, Dr. Bawumia presented NAPO as his running mate during a meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
NAPO, first elected to Parliament on June 1, 2008, has been successfully re-elected in 2012, 2016, and 2020. He has served on the Health, Appointment, and Defence and Interior Committees of Parliament.
In 2017, President Akufo-Addo appointed him as Education Minister, and he currently holds the position of Energy Minister.