Pressure mounts on Bawumia to choose NAPO again

Former Member of Parliament for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah, has started mounting pressure on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to officially announce Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, alias NAPO, as his running mate for the 2028 general election.

Amankwah believes an immediate confirmation would allow the party to begin marketing the Bawumia-NAPO ticket well ahead of the election.

Speaking to 3News on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, he said that with the party’s internal contests largely concluded, the focus should now shift towards early campaigning and mobilisation across the country.

He stressed that resolving any uncertainty surrounding the vice-presidential candidate was crucial before the party presented its ticket to the Ghanaian electorate.

“We have successfully elected our flagbearer and stabilised the party’s grassroots structure, leaving only the national executive elections. We are virtually ready to hit the ground running,” he said.

Amankwah added: “The flagbearer now needs to finalise his choice of running mate so that as we step out into the field, we can confidently present a united ticket to the voters.”

The former Manhyia North MP cautioned that delaying an official declaration could create unnecessary divisions within the party.

He observed that several individuals were actively lobbying and manoeuvring to catch the flagbearer’s attention, which, he said, risked distracting the party from its core objectives.

While acknowledging that personal political ambitions were natural, Mr Amankwah argued that prolonged speculation over the running-mate position was unhealthy for internal cohesion.

“I strongly appeal to Dr Bawumia to confirm NAPO now so that right after our national elections, we can begin marketing the ticket to the electorate and demonstrate our readiness to govern,” he said.

Touching on the strategic gains from the party’s recent internal elections, Mr Amankwah said the NPP was well positioned to commence an early reconciliation and mobilisation drive at the grassroots.

He appealed to the party leadership to use the opportunity to engage aggrieved members who might have been sidelined during previous polling station, constituency or regional contests.

“Our party must capitalise on this momentum, oil the political machine at the grassroots, and reconcile every dissatisfied member as we build a formidable campaign," he said.

Dr Bawumia selected NAPO as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election, and the NPP's National Council unanimously endorsed the nomination on July 4, 2024.

At the time, NPP General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua said NAPO brought decades of political astuteness, trustworthy leadership, confidence, decisiveness, grassroots mobilisation, charisma, patriotism, and what he described as demonstrable incorruptibility to the presidential ticket.

The selection was also presented within the NPP as a means of strengthening the ticket’s appeal, particularly in the Ashanti Region.

NAPO subsequently became widely associated with the phrase “Sisi Fia”, a viral expression linked to Ghanaian musician King Paluta's hit song Makoma, after dancing to the song during the 2024 campaign period.

The former energy minister's campaign, which had an open endorsement from the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, also drew attention for several controversial remarks.

In one widely criticised comment, NAPO said the achievements of the Akufo-Addo administration surpassed those of previous Ghanaian leaders, using the Twi expression "mo Kwame Nkrumah nu" (loosely translated as "that your Kwame Nkrumah there" or in that manner).

Critics interpreted the expression as disrespectful or derogatory towards Ghana's first President, Kwame Nkrumah, and called for a retraction and apology.

Before the 2024 election, some opposition figures questioned whether NAPO's selection would significantly alter Dr Bawumia's electoral prospects.

Alhassan Suhuyini, then Member of Parliament for Tamale North, argued that whoever partnered Dr Bawumia, the outcome would not change because, in his view, the challenges facing the NPP went beyond the choice of running mate.

He also argued that NAPO’s selection would not change the economic difficulties confronting voters.

Abass Nurudeen, then NDC Ashanti Regional Communications Officer, similarly questioned the electoral impact of the Bawumia-NAPO combination.

The debate has continued following the 2024 election, particularly over whether NAPO delivered the expected electoral gains in the Ashanti Region.

NAPO himself rejected the suggestion that he should be held responsible for the NPP’s performance in the region.

In an interview with Accra-based Channel One TV, he challenged the question of whether he had failed to deliver Ashanti votes by asking whether Dr Bawumia, as a northerner, had “brought the northern votes”.

“Did Bawumia, the Northerner, bring the Northern votes?” NAPO asked.

He argued that the NPP’s defeat was a collective responsibility and said the party had lost votes across the country.

“Tribes should not be an element in the debate at all. It’s a slippery slope we are setting up. Even Volta and Greater Accra saw shifts in votes. This is not about tribes; it’s about collective responsibility,” he said.

NAPO also rejected the suggestion that ethnicity was the basis for his selection, saying competence was the consideration.

He subsequently called for unity within the party and an end to the blame game.

The 2024 presidential election results provide context for the continuing debate over the Bawumia-NAPO ticket.

Dr Bawumia received about 41.6 per cent of the national vote, while John Dramani Mahama secured about 56.6 per cent.

The national figures, however, do not by themselves establish how many votes NAPO personally added to Dr Bawumia's total or what the result would have been had another running mate been selected.

NAPO, once a Minister for Education, had publicly set an ambitious target of 85 per cent of the Ashanti Region's vote for the Bawumia ticket during the campaign.

The Ashanti Region remained an important part of the NPP's electoral base, but the party also saw a decline in national support.

The question of NAPO's electoral contribution therefore remains contested, with supporters pointing to his political experience and grassroots appeal, while critics argue that the running mate alone cannot address the broader challenges confronting the NPP.

The latest call by Amankwah comes as the NPP prepares for the next stage of its political organisation following Dr Bawumia's selection as the party's flagbearer for the 2028 election.

For now, however, the decision on whether NAPO will once again partner with Dr Bawumia remains with the flagbearer and the party's relevant decision-making structures.