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Johnson Asiedu Nketia, National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is optimistic that the Bawumia-Mathew Opoku Prempeh ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will facilitate the NDC’s win in the polls on December 7.
Mr. Nketia claims that because of Mathew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as Napo, being chosen as the running mate is advantageous for the NDC because of his apparent contempt and haughtiness.
On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, Mr. Nketia compared the situation to playing football against a team that has a goalie with a broken hand when appearing on CTV’s morning show, Dwabo. This suggests that the NPP’s decision has undermined their position.
“Everyone knows Napo is arrogant and disrespectful. That is why the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, his father, advised him to prove his critics wrong on the assertion that he is arrogant and not to make Bawumia regret selecting him as running mate. But soon after leaving Manhyia Palace after the advice, he went to mount a campaign platform [to disrespect Kwame Nkrumah],” Mr. Nketia stated.
He also questioned the NPP’s use of Napo’s royal ancestry as a political campaign prop. In his defense, Mr. Nketia stated that the NDC does not give royal ancestry first priority when choosing leaders and instead upholds constitutional equality. Even if Napo’s grandfather Prempeh was an Asantehene in the past, he made the point that Akan custom dictates that inheritance is matrilineal, implying that Napo is not a legitimate king.
“The NDC believes in equality under the constitution, so we don’t care what region our president or running mate comes from, whether from a royal family or not, as long as he satisfies the constitutional requirement of being a Ghanaian. Where he [Napo] and his supporters have placed his campaign is incorrect. But Napo and his allies seem to be promoting their candidacy and urging people to vote for him on the grounds that he comes from a royal family. However, as Mr. Nketia pointed out, the NDC is aware that Napo’s grandfather, Prempeh, was an Asantehene in the past, and that inheritance in the Akan culture is matrilineal rather than patrilineal.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
