Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the running mate to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer for the 2024 elections, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, unequivocally refuted allegations that the party harbors any bias against Northerners.
Addressing the Ashanti Regional Campaign Working Committee Meeting and Women’s Conference in Kumasi on Sunday, August 11, 2024, Dr. Prempeh dismissed these accusations as unfounded and lacking credibility.
Dr. Prempeh emphasized that any insinuations suggesting that the Ashanti region, a traditional stronghold of the NPP, would not rally behind Dr. Bawumia due to his Northern heritage were completely baseless and without merit.
He further elaborated that the Ashanti Region has consistently supported past NPP candidates, such as former President John Agyekum Kufuor and the current president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and would continue to do so with Dr. Bawumia.
“They started saying a lot of things about Northerners, that Ashantis didn’t like Northerners, and that our party was anti-Northerners. They were spreading such rumours, and a presidential candidate even went to the Northern region to add his voice to it. But if you know the history of this party, Northerners were many, and we joined them to form the party,” he said.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh assured that the Ashanti region would rally behind Dr. Bawumia, just as it has supported previous NPP leaders.
“It is never true that the NPP won’t support Bawumia, and it is never true that the Ashanti region won’t vote for Bawumia.
“We will vote for Bawumia, and from 2024 onwards, the NPP will continue to win,” he added.
