L-R: Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, Dr Bawumia and NAPO
Former Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, has disclosed that he played a pivotal role in convincing New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to choose Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, also known as NAPO, as his running mate.
He indicated that as the 2024 elections approached, he, along with Dr Yaw Adutwum, Frema Osei-Opare, Joseph Osei Owusu, and others, were among those being considered for the running mate position.
However, the former Member of Parliament for Suame noted that he advised Dr Bawumia to choose NAPO due to his versatility in addressing various issues within the political space.
‘There was a serious fight between Gabby and NAPO’ – Former NPP MP recounts
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu further explained that NAPO’s ability to make meaningful contributions in Parliament, his Asante heritage, and his family ties to former President John Agyekum Kufuor were key factors in his recommendation.
“Myself, Osei Owusu, Adutwum, Frema Opare, our names came up, so people thought I was hurt when NAPO was selected, but that’s not true. He knows the role I played in the selection. I felt that apart from NAPO being an Ashanti, his strength would complement Parliament. He was also versatile and multi-functional, capable of addressing various issues. I also told him [Bawumia] that there seemed to be factions in the party, the Adu Boahen and Akufo-Addo line, and the Kufuor and Alan Kyerematen line.
“He [Bawumia] was discovered by Kufuor, and Akufo-Addo made him who he is. Kufuor’s cousin’s son is NAPO, so there was that linkage. I told him [Bawumia] that if he teamed up with NAPO, they would form a strong bridge between the Akufo-Addo and Kufuor factions, and those divisions would no longer exist,” he said in Twi during an interview with UTV, shared on X on October 10, 2025.
Meanwhile, Dr Bawumia and NAPO’s presidential bid ended in disappointment after losing to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), led by President John Dramani Mahama, in the 2024 general elections.
Watch the interview below:
I was instrumental in Dr. Bawumia’s selection of NAPO as his running mate – Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu#UTVGhana pic.twitter.com/aremVgU7Z2
— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) October 10, 2025
SB/MA
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