Accra, July 4 – Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia of Ghana’s ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has chosen Energy Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh as his running mate for the December presidential election. This move aims to bolster the NPP’s chances as President Nana Akufo-Addo prepares to step down in January 2025 after two terms.
The selection of Prempeh, a lawmaker, doctor, and Christian from the populous Asante region, follows the tradition of pairing candidates from different religious and ethnic backgrounds to enhance voter appeal. Bawumia, an economist and former central banker, is the first Muslim and non-Akan to lead a major party in Ghana since 1992.
Bawumia, 61, was elected as the NPP’s presidential candidate last November, setting the stage for a face-off with former President John Dramani Mahama. Both candidates come from the less economically developed, Muslim-majority northern Ghana.
Prempeh, 56, served as Education Minister from 2017 to 2020, implementing the free senior high school policy despite criticism of its execution. He became Energy Minister in January 2021, tackling an energy crisis that the NPP had previously blamed on Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
