The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has banked its hope on the Ashanti Region as its stronghold to secure majority of the region’s ballots at every major election since the commencement of the Fourth Republic in 1992.
But a founding member of the party, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has cautioned that the party should not think the Ashanti Region will always vote for them.
The party stalwart was cautioning the elders and leadership against making a choice for a running mate to the flag bearer without recourse to the cost from the other regions but only the Ashanti Region.
He was commenting based on wide speculations that Dr. Bawumia has presented Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s name to President Akufo-Addo as his choice for running mate in the 2024 elections.
Reacting to the development Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe indicated that he was certain and predicted that Dr. Bawumia cannot select his running mate and that a candidate will be forced on him, something he believes has been fulfilled with the choice of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.
“I know for a fact that he can’t pick his own running mate and I made mention of this almost seven months ago and the reason is that simple. I said it that if we are not careful that alone can destroy our party. Bawumia, to be frank with you, is a nice gentleman. I have dealt with him before. But it’s not every gentleman who can be a good politician,” he told Johnnie Hughes on the Sunrise on 3FM Thursday, June 27, 2024.
According to him, he said with the prediction he made, “now, he is left with options that he will definitely have to pick his running mate from the Ashanti Region, it has happen. He is not going to pick his own running mate, that also has happened.
“We shouldn’t think the Ashanti Region is a region that will always vote for us like that. Now Ashanti Region, the people are changing because the suffering other people are going through in the country, they are going through the same thing just like me and you. So, Ashanti Region now, if we pick a running mate from that place, we shouldn’t think we are going to have a 100 per cent vote from them. No, it is not going to happen,” the former football administrator was emphatic.
Meanwhile, some elements within the NPP have expressed their on the development, with the Asante Akyem North MP, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi for instance, saying the Energy Minister, although qualifies for the position, he is not the best person to partner Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Bawumia’s running mate: Opoku Prempeh is not my preference – Appiah- Kubi
Meanwhile, Majority Leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has advised that his colleagues watch their utterances and be measured since what they say could be denigrating.
