2024 Presidential election: Who partners Dr Bawumia?

When the time comes for the Vice-President and flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to announce his running mate for this year’s elections, he is likely to settle on one from a narrow pool of members of parliament (MPs) and government appointees, the Daily Graphic has gathered from inside sources.

The MP for Manhyia South and Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and the MP for Bosomtwe and Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, are the frontrunners for the slot, even though other names are receiving the backing of specific blocs.

A female running mate, the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, to bring gender balance to the ticket, and the former Majority Leader in Parliament, Ose Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, have also been touted as the desired candidates to fill the position.

The pool of possible candidates also includes the Chief Executive of STC, Nana Akomea, and the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng.

Major decision

That major decision to be made by the Vice-President and the party’s flag bearer for the 2024 general election, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in consultation with the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party, is expected in May this year.

Some stalwarts of the party, who shared their views on the potential running mate with the Daily Graphic on condition of anonymity, placed premium on the broad quality of the person needing to be a Christian, while others preferred “a Christian leader” altogether, stressing that such a partnership would further cement the Christian and Muslim relationship across the country to hold the country together even better.

What is clear at this point is that it would take something significant to dislodge both Dr Prempeh and Dr Osei Adutwum from their current pole positions.

Dr Prempeh and Dr Adutwum worked together at the Ministry of Education during President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo’s first term, where Dr Adutwum was deputy to Dr Opoku Prempeh.

Indeed, the two ministers were conspicuously among the few that survived the mass ministerial changes effected by the President this month.

Energy Minister

Dr Prempeh, a nephew of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, is also said to have a royal lineage connected to the Manhyia Palace.

His constituency is not merely a stronghold of the party, but actually delivered 83 per cent of the presidential votes to the NPP in the 2020 elections.

Dr Prempeh, as former Minister of Education is credited with the bold implementation of the free senior high school flagship education policy of the government, strongly supported by his then deputy, Dr Adutwum.

Education Minister

Dr Adutwum has earned plaudits for his commitment to the party to have left his personal investment in the education sector in the United States to accept a ministerial appointment in Ghana when the NPP came to power in 2017.

His constituency also delivered 84.8 per cent votes to the party in the 2020 presidential election.

He has been the face championing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEMM) education in Ghana.

He is seen to have done a lot to improve the infrastructural needs in the education sector, coupled with his push for digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), which many believe also resonates with the vision of the NPP flag bearer.

Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has emerged as a surprise name following his resignation from the position in the course of last week.

He is a seven-term MP who declined to return to Parliament in 2025.

His resignation as the Majority Leader in Parliament followed his appointment as the chair of the party’s 2024 election Manifesto Committee, a decision ostensibly already taken by the party’s hierarchy.

While his colleagues in Parliament appeared to reject any supposed interference that would disrupt the identity of their leadership in the House, he forced the situation by resigning from the post he had held for about 12 years.

Akomea, Boateng

Nana Akomea has been one of the foremost communicators for Dr Bawumia’s campaign since he won the intra-party primary.

He is a former MP and minister during the regime of President Kufuor.

Mr Boateng once vied to lead the party after his first stint as a minister.

Other candidates

Mrs Osei-Opare’s name has been put forward by those who believe that gender balance would make a difference in the electoral fortunes of the candidates.

She is a two-time MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, having served the constituency from 2005 to 2012.

She once served as the Deputy Minister of the then Manpower and Social Welfare, now Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.

Mrs Osei-Opare continues with her women empowerment initiatives, as well as mentorship sessions, in her quest to groom the next generation of women leaders.

Qualities

While a number of NPP stalwarts who spoke to the Daily Graphic preferred to remain anonymous on who could emerge the lucky one for the position of running mate, it emerged that many of the party elders are in for a Christian.

Others preferred a member of the clergy.

They believe that partnership would further cement the Christian and Moslem relationship across the country and also hold the country further together.

Some senior members of the party were also of the view that choosing a successful business personality from outside the party who would come with his or her rich business background could also not be overlooked.

They were of the view that such a personality combining with an "astute" economist like Dr Bawumia was enough to “break the 8” and enhance the work already done by the government.

According to the NPP bigwigs, competence was basic and the choice must be one with charisma and who is knowledgeable.

“The issue of ethnicity, religion, regional balance, selflessness and how the choice inures significantly to the fortunes of the party especially in its strongholds is also being pushed by those pulling the strings,” said one party source.

 “Everyone must take it easy because even if I give you a name, it can change in the very last minute; that is how it works,” it added.