Former Education Minister and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer candidate Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum has denied rumors that he was disappointed that Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was chosen for the running mate position ahead of the 2024 elections.
Former Energy Minister Dr. Opoku Prempeh was chosen to be Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s running mate in the 2024 NPP presidential election. Speculation that Dr. Adutwum, who was also in the running, was upset about the choice and planned to run against Dr. Bawumia for the party’s 2028 presidential ticket surfaced after the announcement.
Dr. Adutwum, however, flatly refuted the allegations in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu of Channel One TV, stating that he had actively campaigned for Dr. Bawumia in the 2024 election and that he had no grudges.
“No, if I were angry, I wouldn’t have gone to campaign for Bawumia. Nobody campaigned for him more than me,” he stated.
Dr. Adutwum emphasized his work to spread Dr. Bawumia’s ideas, especially in the field of education, by saying:
“Go and look at the campaign we mounted, go to what we did talking about Bawumia’s vision for education. Who was able to get the national media at my own expense to capture Bawumia’s vision for Ghana? I’m not petty.”
He further emphasised that the decision on a running mate was Dr. Bawumia’s prerogative—one he fully respected.
“He chose whoever he wanted; that was his judgment call. It wasn’t my judgment. This time, I’m saying it’s me representing myself. I’m not waiting for somebody to choose or not to choose,” he noted.
Ahead of the general elections in 2028, there is increasing interest in the party’s future leadership, which is reflected in Dr. Adutwum’s remarks.