Former Vice Presidential Candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has accused his political opponents of twisting the controversial remarks he made about Dr. Kwame Nkrumah for political gains.
He says his comments about Ghana’s first President in the lead up to the 2024 general elections were taken out of context to create a negative perception about him.
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, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, he disclosed that the backlash that came with the comments came as a surprise to him.
He explained that the development is part of the realities of political communication, which he argued that one’s words can be reinterpreted by opponent 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.
He also rejected the notion that he is an arrogant person, explaining that many of such persons who describe him as such have never had personal encounter with him before.
He revealed that before accepting the role of running mate, he conducted a personal assessment of the potential criticisms that could be levelled against him and concluded that some political actors would attempt to brand him negatively.
According to him, many commentators who repeated those characterisations had never met him, underscoring what he described as the politically charged nature of public discourse.
“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.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh revealed that he has never been bothered about the personal attacks and controversies surrounding his personality, expressing hope that any deliberate attempts to paint political opponents badly are exposed over time.
“I don’t let it bother me because those who do that are easily found,” he said.
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.
No president has developed Ghana more than Akufo-Addo; not even your Nkrumah – Opoku Prempeh
