Bawumia settles the differences between Wontumi and Napo
The two leading members of the NPP, Wontumi and Napo, are said to have had relationship challenges over several issues in the party
Vice President and presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has settled the difference between the Ashanti Regional chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi), and the NPP member of Parliament for the Manhyia South constituency and minister for energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo).
The two leading members of the NPP in the Ashanti Region have had relationship challenges over several issues in the NPP and Wontumi is believed to have opposed the proposed nomination of Matthew Opoku Prempeh as the running mate of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for the 7 December 2024 general elections as a result of the issues he has with Napo.
Wontumi has consistently accused Napo of making him spend a lot on his bid for re-election as the NPP Ashanti Regional chairman by sponsoring Odeneho who gave Wontumi a run for his money during the internal party primaries in 2022. Their supporters have been seen publicly taking potshots at each other.
Additionally, Wontumi and his supporters have also felt that the issues he had with the Manhyia Palace recently were engineered by Napo and his constituency chairman who is popularly known as Tom Tom.
Several attempts have been made by leading party members such as Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, former Majority Leader, and Alexander Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu constituency and current Majority Leader to resolve these matters but to no avail.
Peaceful negotiations
However, as part of broad consultations being undertaken by the NPP leader and presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, before naming his running mate, the vice president met with Wontumi and Nana Nkansah Boadu, on Friday, 28 June 2024.
Chairman Wontumi after the Friday meeting, traveled to France on the same day and returned on Sunday 30 June 2024. Dr Bawumia subsequently met with Wontumi, Napo, Nana Nkansah Boadu, and other leading members of the party at his official residence on Sunday, 30 June 2024, to iron out the differences and to seek a unified front ahead of the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
Asaase News has gathered that the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and all the issues that led to the differences that existed between the two NPP stalwarts have been dealt with and effectively resolved.
The two NPP leaders, Wontumi and Napo according to a source who is familiar with the negotiations that took place between the parties, indicated that they have resolved to set aside their differences and rally behind Dr Bawumia as he leads a spirited campaign of the NPP to win the presidency for a third time running on the ticket of the NPP.
The development also paves the way for the NPP presidential candidate to present his running mate nominee, Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) to the party’s national council hopefully on Tuesday, 2 July 2024, for the endorsement of the national council.
Once this process is carried out, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia will have the green light to officially announce and outdoor his running mate to the larger party and Ghanaians in the first week of July.
Intense consultations
Recent developments such as Dr Bawumia’s meetings with President Akufo-Addo, the NPP Council of Elders, and the leadership of the Majority Caucus in Parliament, have given the clearest indication of the decision of Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia to partner with Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Napo) for the 9th presidential and parliamentary elections under the 4th Republican constitution which came into force on 7 January 1993.
The choice of Napo has been widely publicised in mainstream and social media for the last three months. The speculation that Napo had been named as the running mate to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has received its first share of acceptance and criticism within the rank and file of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Polls
Several polls that have been conducted by various institutions and individuals have all put Napo ahead of all other persons whose names came up as potential running mates to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Napo emerged as the preferred person to partner with the vice president and presidential candidate of the NPP in the 7 December 2024 general election in the most recent study carried out by the Danquah Institute (DI). The Danquah Institute poll was carried out in the second week of June 2024.
Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Accra
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