The book “The President Ghana Never Got” by Manasseh Azure indicates that President Akufo-Addo seemed taken off when he discovered that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia had selected Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) as his running mate from sources other than Dr. Bawumia.
The book claims that President Akufo-Addo was not notified about Dr. Bawumia’s choice of running mate until two months prior to the Asantehene’s finding.
The Asantehene brought up the matter to President Akufo-Addo three weeks prior to Bawumia informing him, and the president was taken aback to learn of it from an individual outside of his close circle.
“The Asantehene had mentioned it to the President. Akufo-Addo was shocked to hear the news at his next door from someone about 250 kilometres away. But this was not accidental.”
Dr. Bawumia notified former President John Agyekum Kufuor beforehand of his official announcement to Akufo-Addo. Akufo-Addo and his family, meantime, had anticipated that Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum would serve as his running mate.
Other potential running companions included Napo and the late John Kumah, who passed away from what some thought was poisoning.
According to the book, a week prior to Dr. Bawumia informing Akufo-Addo, a poll commissioned by the president indicated that Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh was the top option with 76.3%, considerably ahead of other contestants.
The results of the poll were leaked to the media before the president received it which angered him.
According to the book, “The information about Bawumia’s choice of running mate was more secure with the Asantehene at the Manhyia Palace than in Akufo-Addo’s Jubilee House and the state intelligence agency he trusted to conduct the research.”
“When Bawumia reared his head, Napo told Bawumia that he had been preparing for a long time to contest, but since Bawumia was contesting, he would step back and support his candidacy. Bawumia was touched by that gesture and earmarked Napo for the running mate position. Napo was not the ideal candidate because of his perceived arrogance, but he checked all the boxes of political considerations, the foremost being that the running mate must come from the Ashanti Region.”
The book further states that Dr. Bawumia originally wanted Apostle Professor Opoku Onyinah, a former chairman of the Church of Pentecost, to be his running partner instead of Napo.
According to the book, the announcement of Dr. Bawumia’s running partner was made on the pro-NPP Asaase Radio the morning following a private meeting between the President and the politician.
There were no outside guests present for this private meeting.
Asaase Radio, owned by Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, the President’s cousin, attributed the information to “sources close to the office of the president,” which undermined Dr Bawumia’s consultations with the NPP council of elders.
