5 Candidates Bawumia Might Pick As Running Mate – Tru News Report Exclusive
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana, emerged as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer for the 2024 election with 61.43% of valid votes cast on November 4, 2023.
Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, the Assin Central MP, kept his promise of delivering a “showdown” by finishing second place with 37.41%, while Francis Addai Nimoh and Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto came in last and third , respectively.
The Ghanaian public is now eagerly awaiting Bawumia’s choice of running mate to face John Dramani Mahama in the upcoming presidential elections, as the selection of a suitable partner can significantly impact a candidate’s chances of success.
Tru News Report has identified five suitable politicians within the NPP who could potentially be selected by Bawumia for a partnership.
1. Kennedy Agyapong
Kennedy Agyapong has proven himself to be a formidable political figure, particularly after his impressive performance against Bawumia in the recent NPP primaries. Despite the tension leading up to the event, Ken has the potential to earn Bawumia’s trust and secure the running-mate position. He has a strong track record of winning votes in key regions such as Ashanti, Central, and Volta. In addition to his political career, Agyapong is also a successful businessman and has served as the Chairman of the Parliament’s Defense and Interior Committee. While he may have lost the 2023 NPP presidential candidacy to Bawumia, his political influence and reputation remain strong.
2. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu
Osei Kyei Mensah has been a member of Parliament since January 1997, representing Old Tafo in the Suame Constituency of the Ashanti Region. He has held his position through the 2nd to 7th Parliaments of the 4th Republic of Ghana and currently serves as the chairperson for the Special Budget, House, and Business Committees. Additionally, he is a member of the Finance, Mines and Energy Standing Orders and Selection Committees. Recently, he criticized Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament, for suspending parliamentary proceedings to attend the 2023 National Development Conference hosted by the Church of Pentecost. When he gets the nod from Bawumia, he could help get massive votes for the NPP in the Ashanti Region.
3. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO)
Similar to Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, NAPO, also known as Matthew Opoku Prempeh, possesses the capability to secure victory for the party in the Ashanti Region. NAPO is a distinguished Ghanaian medical practitioner and politician affiliated with the New Patriotic Party. Serving as a Member of Parliament for the Manhyia South Constituency in the Ashanti Region, he has previously held the esteemed position of Minister of Education. Renowned by the moniker NAPO, he currently assumes the role of Minister of Energy.
4. Ursula Owusu
Ursula Owusu, a prominent supporter of Bawumia prior to the NPP presidential elections, has the potential to make history as the first female politician to run as running mate for the NPP. This could have a significant impact on swaying neutral voters towards the NPP, given her gender. In 2012, she became the first Member of Parliament for the newly created Ablekuma West Constituency. She won the NPP parliamentary primaries in the same constituency in 2015 and retained her parliamentary seat in the 2016 Ghanaian general elections. Despite facing personal attacks alongside other female MPs, she persevered and was appointed as the Minister for Communications by President Akufo-Addo in 2017. She currently holds the position of Minister for Communications and Digitalization.
5. Dr Yaw Adutwum
In terms of the preferred choice of Bawumia, an unconfirmed report suggests that Dr Yaw Adutwum holds significant influence to sway the Ashanti Region’s votes.
In September 2004, Dr. Adutwum established the New Designs Charter Schools in California, USA.
Prior to this, he dedicated ten years of his career as a Mathematics and Information Technology teacher at the Manual Arts High School. During this tenure, he took the initiative to establish the International Studies Academy, a small learning community for students.
Additionally, he played a pivotal role as the lead math teacher in the USC/Manual Arts Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI). Furthermore, he contributed to the task force established by the National Research Council for Career and Technical Education, aiming to develop a national model for career and technical education at both high school and college levels.
On 9 September 2021, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum was appointed as a member of the Advisory Board of the Capacity Building Center (CBC) in the School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
