Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s 2024 running mate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has rejected the arrogant tag attributed to him by a section of Ghanaians.
He says many of those who describe him as an arrogant have never had a personal encounter with him, making him wonder how they came to that conclusion.
NAPO, as he is popularly known, speaking at the University of Ghana’s Department of Political Science, on his experience as the running mate to NPP’s 2028 flagbearer, indicated that he knew his political opponents were going to drag him for political expediency once he was named as Dr. Bawumia’s running mate.
According to him, those who described him as arrogant, prior to his selection by Dr. Bawumia, had never made such remarks about him before, making him come to the conclusion that the tag was part of the political games meant to tarnish his reputation.
“Before I started this running mate, nobody ever went on air and said I was arrogant. But they did an analysis and tagged me as such. Every radio commentator said the same thing, but none of them had even met me,” he said.
He, however, indicated that he has never been bothered by personal attacks and controversies surrounding his personality, expressing hope that any deliberate attempts to paint political opponents badly will be exposed over time.
“I don’t let it bother me because those who do that are easily found,” he said.
He also used the opportunity to speak on the controversial comments he made about Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, during the 2024 electioneering campaign.
He accused his political opponents of twisting the remarks for political gain, saying his words were taken out of context to create a negative perception about him.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh says the backlash that followed the comments came as a surprise to him.
He explained that the development is part of the realities of political communication, which he argued allows one’s words to be reinterpreted by opponents to suit their political narratives.
NAPO insisted that his comments had been clear but were intentionally twisted by those seeking political gain.
“When I talked about Nkrumah, most of the reportage was twisted. I live in a political space, and when people want to twist your words, they will always do. But I can assure you that it will only last a short time,” he stated.
At his unveiling in Kumasi on June 9, 2024, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh stated that no president in Ghana’s history, including the country’s first President, whom he described as “your Nkrumah” had outperformed former President William Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The remarks sparked widespread public backlash, with many Ghanaians calling for an apology and a retraction.
However, in a subsequent statement, the former NPP running mate apologised for the comments, expressing regret over the controversy they generated.
Political opponents twisted my comments on Nkrumah for political gain – NAPO
