A Political Marketing Consultant, Dr Bernard Tutu-Boahen, has asserted that one cannot use the Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s comment on ‘No dumsor timetable’ to judge him.
This follows rumours that the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia out of the Running Mate Hopefuls mentioned the Energy Minister’s name, pending approval form the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It was rumoured that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, flagbearer of the NPP, has proposed Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, as his running mate to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Sources say a meeting was convened on Tuesday night where Dr Bawumia sought advice from President Akufo-Addo regarding his choice of a running mate.
It is reported that President Akufo-Addo provided some guidance, shared his views, and eventually endorsed Dr Bawumia’s selection.
In presenting NAPO’s name to the President, Dr Bawumia highlighted that the chosen candidate is a 56-year-old medical doctor who earned his degree from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
He was first elected to Parliament in 2008 and has since been re-elected in 2012, 2016, and 2020.
Dr Bawumia further noted that NAPO has served on the Health Appointment and Defence and Interior Committees of Parliament and was appointed as Education Minister in 2017.
It was also heard that the NPP Flagbearer is expected to meet with the party’s Council to formally present his choice and if he is accepted, a formal announcement will follow.
On June 15, 2024, a survey conducted by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) indicated that NAPO was widely preferred among party members to be the running mate to Dr Bawumia.
The survey engaged 5,116 NPP delegates nationwide, including national, regional, constituency, and polling station executives.
According to the study, Dr Opoku Prempeh secured 76.2% of the responses from executives polled. Following him was the Minister of Education and MP for the Bosomtwe, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, who garnered 10.16%.
After NAPO’s name was mentioned, there have been a public argument that he will not be able to deliver, considering the challenges being faced in the energy sector and his response to Ghanaians when they asked for a load shedding while experiences power outages.
Read Also: NPP running mate: Bawumia has not presented any name to NPP elders – Miracles Aboagye
Speaking about this on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie with Bernard Lav, Dr Bernard Tutu-Boahen said the assumption is that NAPO can deliver.
He said between NAPO and Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, the choice by the Vice President is not a mistake, saying that Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh who is expected to pull more votes to the ticket of Dr Bawumia has no choice than to deliver.
“You cannot use this one issue to judge him. What I know is that with the background and where he is coming from, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has more experience to make a prominent choice for the party to balance his tickets and so I am not in doubt of what he has done,” he said.
Dr. Bernard Tutu-Boahen continued, “I believe that we are not being entirely impartial in our assessment of the argument, given the questions that Ghanaians are asking and the comments they are making regarding the dumsor timetable and schedules.” Possibly, upon listening to him and examining the statements he made, it is possible that he did not truly have any ill intentions or that they were not intended as an affront to Ghanaians.
He added that,”But for the fact that you are a Ghanaian child and something is happening which is affecting you, it is not a mistake as an individual to sit down and plan around it.”
Dr Bernard Tutu-Boahen again said,”For me if he made that statement, I don’t think it was really a mistake that we can use to judge him from that perspective and I want to beg Ghanaians that this is my opinion.”
Taking into consideration the manner in which NAPO replied Ghanaians on the dumsor timetable, Dr Bernard Tutu-Boahen stated that moving forward, NAPO should get someone to coach him on utterances and deliveries.
Meanwhile, the Director of Communications for Bawumia’s Campaign Team, Miracles Aboagye has stated emphatically that the National Council of Elders of the party has not received any name regarding the choice of running mate from the office of the Vice President, adding therefore that, reports suggesting the submission of the NAPO’s name as the running mate should be treated as just mere rumours.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
