Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) vice-presidential candidate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has said the controversy surrounding his comments about Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, during the 2024 election campaign was the result of deliberate distortions by political opponents.
According to Dr. Opoku Prempeh, widely known as NAPO, his remarks were taken out of context and used to create a negative perception of him in the public space.
Speaking at the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana on his experience as running mate to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the 2024 elections, he said the backlash did not come as a surprise, describing it as one of the realities of political communication.
He argued that politicians often have their statements reinterpreted by opponents seeking to advance their own narratives.
“When I talked about Nkrumah, most of the reportage was twisted. I live in a political space, and when people want to twist your words, they will always do. But I can assure you that it will only last a short time,” he said.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh also rejected claims that he is arrogant, insisting that the perception was manufactured by critics rather than based on personal interactions.
He disclosed that before accepting the role of running mate, he anticipated some of the criticism that could be directed at him and expected political opponents to attach negative labels to his personality.
“Before I started this running mate, nobody ever went on air and said I was arrogant. But they did an analysis and tagged me as such. Every radio commentator said the same thing, but none of them had even met me,” he said.
Despite the criticism he faced during the campaign, the former Energy Minister said he remains unfazed by such attacks, arguing that attempts to misrepresent public figures are often exposed over time.
“I don’t let it bother me because those who do that are easily found,” he added.
The comments relate to remarks he made at his unveiling in Kumasi on June 9, 2024, when he stated that no president in Ghana’s history, including Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, had outperformed former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The statement sparked widespread criticism, with many Ghanaians demanding an apology and a retraction.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh later apologised for the comments and expressed regret over the controversy they generated.
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